Taking a break Raducanu hand surgery sidelines her for summer

Emma Raducanu will miss the French Open and Wimbledon as she undergoes "minor" surgeries on both of her hands and left ankle after struggling with injuries for a prolonged period.

- Tumaini Carayol

Yesterday, Raducanu underwent the first of her three planned procedures - on her right hand - and she later posted a photograph of herself from her hospital bed with a cast on her hand alongside a handwritten statement on social media.

"It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands," wrote Raducanu. "I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it, unfortunately it's not enough."

Raducanu will be out of competition for months. In addition to missing Roland Garros, which begins later this month, and Wimbledon in July, the 2021 US Open champion is unlikely to return in time to compete at the US Open in late August.

Last week, Raducanu cut a forlorn figure in her press conference before the Madrid Open as she attempted to compete in the WTA 1000 event before announcing her withdrawal from the tournament a day later due to a wrist injury. Her inability to compete in Madrid meant that, 201 months after winning the US Open as a qualifier without dropping a set, she will fall out of the top 100 next week.