She won a Grand Slam though. that elevates her above all the others. I congratulate her on achieving that because that's really, really difficult

I'm of the same thinking, but we shall wait and see

Some people's bodies are just not designed for the rigour of high level sport unfortunately.

I think it's just hard to enjoy life on tour when your body is constantly failing you. Then when you add all the pressure that comes with her previous success that makes it even worse. I think if she can get healthy again, we will see results from her again. But unfortunately, wrist issues have meant the end of many careers so that's a tough one to overcome.

Delpo managed to adapt his game and had some great success later in his career before the knee issues eventually ended his career. But who's to say what he could have achieved with is wrist being 100%? Thiem another one. Never been the same since the wrist issues started. Hard to say how much of his current struggles are wrist related and how much is mental/lack of confidence, but it certainly hasn't helped.

I wouldn't trust that information. It's something that has bothered her on and off since Australian Open 2022 (I think that's when it started). It's unlikely to go away just like that with a minor procedure.

Doesn't bode well.
Can't exactly put it down to years on the tour.

I was a bit concerned that she might end up following Genie into that weird non-volleying game, but three different UK newspapers have broken the news that Emma has taken up the far cooler game of Mah Jong in her time off.

There have been some great pictures from her time in China. I hope she can come back and be competitive in tennis as she does generate media interest. I was wondering if she might have tried working with Torben again in a more conventional coaching setup but the Kerber comeback obviously scuppers that possibility.

If she is made of glass like Osorio then no, but she seemed to be overtraining last year. I remember Hantuchova mentioning that Emma was getting a rep as a bit of a gym addict. (I think that was before she hooked up with Tursonov). the gym addiction thing may have been a way more of coping with the huge amount of media attention ie something she could control even if it wasn't really necessary.

She's clearly a smart person and she has had time to think. If she takes a different route going forward and avoids overtraining then the time out might have been a blessing in disguise.

The Emma that played Stuttgart last year had huge potential. I'm still not sure who was really responsible for getting her into that form/condition Torben or the Ricardo Piatti team (with whom she had done a week's clay court boot camp). But I thought she was playing some of the best I'd seen her play.

Her interfering dad surely must shoulder a lot of blame. So many different coaches been and gone. One for serving, one for baseline, one for volleying ffs, madness, and guess what, if she'd just stayed with the team that got her to that US Open win, she'd have been fine.

Emma the third most searched female athlete of 2023 behind Iga and Coco! (Despite playing as many matches across the year as she played in the US Open 2021!)

But a strong showing for tennis with women's football on the rise and during a World Cup year. A bit surprised that Iga is number one, but would think that's more due to Polish bots than marketability.

I was surprised Emma didn't get the last wild card for Melbourne. She's going to have to win ten matches in a row again!
It's actually not the worst thing to be able to start her Australian Open campaign in less of a media glare although being Raducanu the spotlight will still be on, qulaifiers or no qualifiers.

The jury is out on whether she turns up at all of course.

Emma posted on X at Christmas that she gets impatient when buttering her toast with butter from the fridge, only for the toast to dismantle in front of her.

However her patience has been rewarded with the Australian Open. She is now in the main draw due to withdrawals! The Leylah/Emma rematch just got a little bit closer.

She left Australia greatly encouraged for what is to come as she told reporters: “There were doubts whether I would be able to make the Australian Open trip, so it was a bonus to play there.

“As I said before, I’m more focused on level and the practice days, trying to win the day rather than focusing more on win or loss.

“I know the difference between me playing okay and me playing good or me playing great are just really, really in the details, like doing a few things just 5% better. I think it makes a huge difference.

“I’m feeling very positive. I really just want to play a full season.

“The encouraging thing is, even though I played two back-to-back three-setters in Auckland, a three-setter today, body-wise, strength-wise, I didn’t come up with any random niggles.
I’m very positive, very happy with how my body is. I think the wrist in particular was something that I struggled with in the coming back because, yeah, I just had a setback for a few months, so I couldn’t play till late November again really.

“Now I feel good. Ankle feels good. Yeah, I think if I keep my work consistent, like I said previously, I have a good shot.

“This is obviously only my first trip back. I think that tidying up some of the areas, tidying up a bit of technique and things, also just getting used to playing matches outdoors.

“Yeah, I need to spend more time on tour, spend more time training, and putting good weeks together.”

She also suggested she would be open to playing lower level tour events, including ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments, the level below the WTA Tour.

“I really believe that the level in these quote “lower-level tournaments” and these tournaments is not that big because you gain so many skills, you’re playing in these conditions, the wind here was a prime example,” she added.

“My opponent (Wang) played a lot of ITF and got a lot of matches under her belt, but the level really isn’t that different. I would play whatever suits my schedule, whatever suits the plan.”

One hit wonder