Emma Raducanu has thanked her surgeon as she prepares for action at the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old endured a 2023 to forget, with the youngster hampered by injury issues and restricted to just nine matches as a result.
Raducanu missed eight months of action following operations on both of her wrists, as well as her ankle.
Fast-forward to now, however, and she's now back on the court and raring to go.
Emma Raducanu has thanked her surgeon for saving her career as she prepares for Australian Open opener
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Raducanu is set to take on Shelby Rogers in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
And the 2021 US Open champion has thanked her surgeon for helping her get her career back on track.
"I was just worried," she said.
"I started hitting in August and after that, I'd say, the first eight, nine days, I was feeling pain and then it just didn't go away.
"And then I didn't start hitting again with the yellow ball until pretty much the last week of November.
"I didn't play for a good few months after (the first setbacks) and then only started picking it up recently, at the back end of November.
"So I guess to be in the position I am now, only really having had six weeks of training with yellow balls, I'm pretty proud of myself and the team for getting me here.
"I was always going to feel pain in my wrist but credit to the surgeon, he did a great job."
Raducanu now sports scars just above her twists on the back of her hands.
And she's joked that doesn't expect to be a hand model any time soon.
"I guess I won't be a hand model and I can throw that career away," she quipped.
"They are battle wounds but they are healing nicely and they look a lot better now.
"So it's just part of the journey. When I'm 80 I can show everyone, 'These are the battle scars!'"
Raducanu is also delighted at the way fans on the street have supported her, too, as she looks to win another major.
"I walk around, some people come up to me on the street and will be like, 'Hey, love you, keep going, good luck this week'" she said.
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Emma Raducanu has recalled her injury hell as she prepares for Australian Open clash
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Raducanu was expected to dominate tennis when she won the US Open over two years ago.
Due to her injury issues, however, she's been unable to kick on.
Raducanu now feels she can play without pressure - with the 21-year-old considered an underdog once again.
After saying she felt like she was carrying around a 'backpack of rocks', she added: “It was like it was glued on.
“I think now it’s completely off, I feel good, I feel better and ready to take this second chance at being on the tour again.”
Emma Raducanu has a smile on her face again as she targets Australian Open glory
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However, Raducanu does regret not giving herself more time to adapt to being a superstar.
“I probably would have taken some more time off to rest and then to train because I feel like I had a lot of things straight after the US Open and then Indian Wells was right around the corner, so I kind of rushed straight into it with minimal practice and it was a bit of a spiral from there,” she said.
