I’m back and all set for the Open
EMMA Raducanu declared herself fit for the French Open after concerns over a back problem.
The US Open champion retired during the second set of her opening match at the Italian Open in Rome last week against Bianca Andreescu, saying she was unable to move properly.
Raducanu headed home to have the problem assessed but was given the all clear and is gearing up for her senior debut at Roland Garros, where she is the 12th seed.
The 19-year-old has had a string of niggles since her stunning victory in New York and told reporters in Paris: “I’m learning about my body, for sure, but I’m very happy to be continuing my preparations for the French Open and to be able to play this tournament and fortunately I didn’t have to miss this grand slam.
“That is definitely a really positive thing, because I really look forward to these big moments and the big tournaments.”
Asked if she could have been forced to miss the year’s second grand slam, Raducanu said: “It was definitely thrown into question. But, at the end of the day, I’m just learning, feeling it out. I got the all clear to continue with preparations and see how things go.
“Last week after Rome I definitely had to slow down that week, but this week I have been training and luckily being able to practise all of the shots. It feels good to be able to move freely and just run around. It’s quite fun. I have been preparing as normal the last few days.”
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is hoping his chronic foot problem will ease sufficiently to allow him to challenge for a 14th French Open title.
The 35-year-old is attempting to reclaim the crown taken from him by Novak Djokovic 12 months ago but arrived in Paris in the unusual position of not having won a clay-court title so far this season.
Nadal was beaten by his young countryman Carlos Alcaraz at the Madrid Open and then limped through a defeat by Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open in Rome last week.
“I was suffering after that for a couple of days but I feel better,” said Nadal. “That’s why I’m here.
“The pain is there always. It’s not going to disappear now. It’s about if the pain is high and strong enough to allow me to play with real chances or not.
“I am here just to play tennis and to try to make the best result possible here in Roland Garros. And if I don’t believe that this thing can happen, probably I will not be here.”
Nadal has struggled with the foot problem his whole career and feared it may force him into retirement as a teenager and then again last year, when it kept him out for the second half of the season.
He was concerned as late as December that he may not be able to return only to spectacularly win a 21st grand slam title at the Australian Open.
He extended his winning run to 20 matches but was then forced off court again after suffering a stress fracture of a rib in Indian Wells in March.
“Unfortunately here I didn’t have the preparation that I would like, and unfortunately that rib fracture stopped a little bit the great moment that I was having since the season start,” said Nadal.
“But, in sport, things can change quick, and the only thing that I can do is try to be ready if that change happens. Today looks difficult and it looks that there are players that are in better shape than me, without a doubt, but you never know what can happen in the next couple of days.
“The same happened in Australia and I put myself in a position to have a chance.”