Emma Raducanu has been pictured training with strapping around her ankle as she races to be fit for the Australian Open.
The British star was left devastated after turning her ankle at the ASB Classic, a WTA 250 event which many players have used as a warm-up event for the upcoming Grand Slam.
Raducanu was forced to withdraw from her encounter against Linda Fruhvirtova, and her participation at the Australian Open has been in doubt ever since.
She has travelled to Melbourne, however, and has been shown on the court in training.
With strapping around her ankle, Raducanu’s movements were described by BBC Sport journalist Jonathan Jurejko as “better but still very tentative”.
An earlier video of Raducanu training had shown the world number 75 moving very gingerly, so it does appear she is making progress.
Video: Watch Emma Raducanu train for Australian Open
Will Emma Raducanu compete at the Australian Open?
With five days to go until the start of the Australian Open, there are understandably concerns about whether Raducanu will be able to recover in time.
“We’ll see hopefully by Monday or whenever the tournament starts,” Raducanu told BBC Sport earlier this week.
“We’re just taking it a day at a time and not trying to expect too much at this point.”
Raducanu added: “It was really unfortunate because I was feeling great about my season and I was feeling really good with the preparation I did physically.
“I just had an accident on the court, I don’t know what I could have done to really prevent that.”
If Raducanu does manage to recover in time, she’ll be hoping to improve on her second-round exit at last year’s Australian Open.
How many injuries has Emma Raducanu had?
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 05: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain receives medical attention during her singles match against Viktoria Kuzmova of Slovakia on day four of the 2023 ASB Classic Women’s at the ASB Tennis Arena on January 05, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Raducanu struggled with injuries last year, withdrawing from five matches due to various issues.
She has been working with Andy Murray‘s former physical trainer Jez Green in a bid to make herself less injury prone, and said she was feeling “good” after an exhibition match in December.
Her latest fitness problem is another blow in a difficult period for Raducanu since she won the US Open in 2021.
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