MIKE DICKSON: Don’t expect a barnstorming comeback when injury-plagued former US Open champion Emma Raducanu returns in January… we just need her to stay in one piece

On her extremely busy personal Instagram page, Emma Raducanu showed her palm full of blisters with the caption: “Welcome back.”

Her return to tennis is truly a long-awaited one, and it looks like it has finally happened. The 21-year-old from Kent has added her name to the official roster for next month’s Australian Open, and it’s clear this is no exercise in token optimism – she’s also finalizing tournament plans ahead of time, right at the start of the new season.

Blisters are a classic sign that someone is getting used to hitting tennis balls properly again, and are an appropriate reminder that they have a lot of work to do.

Normally, the return of a No. 9 ranked British player from injury wouldn’t generate much interest, but of course Raducanu is different because of what she achieved so impressively in New York just two years ago.

This guarantees a level of attention completely disproportionate to the one whose ranking has dropped to 296 and, as much of a misconception as that may be, he has yet to beat anyone in the world’s top 10. Having not played since April, the next chapter of her career is about to begin, and hopefully it will be a happier story than what has happened since she won the 2021 US Open.

Emma Raducanu is close to a long-awaited return after years of injury nightmare

Since winning the US Open in 2021, Raducanu has faced several major setbacks.

The image of her blisters was also a reminder that suffering from them was just one of many physical problems holding her back. It was at the 2022 Australian Open that she first complained that they had injured her hand when she was eliminated in the second round.

Others are well-documented and support the idea that success for her in 2024 will be about maintaining integrity and finally piecing together a full season.

If this happens, it is unlikely that she will remain on the sidelines of the professional game along with others whose ratings have fallen below the 200s.

By the end of the year there will be a clearer picture of the future abilities of those who still have time to realize their undoubted potential.

There will be many times when Raducianu will feel like her status as a Grand Slam champion is a burden, but when it comes to playing opportunities, it is definitely an advantage as it allows wildcards to be used to a large extent.

Expect many of them to be used in the coming months, and this is one route into the main draw of the Australian Open if her “protected” rating of 103 – her pre-injury rating – is not high enough. She is currently six below the threshold.

The Australians will be looking to attract as many recognizable names to their event as possible, but this may be difficult. Only three invitations will likely be sent out after fulfilling obligations to distribute them to playoff winners and through reciprocal agreements with other countries, plus one that will undoubtedly go to 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki.

There is an argument that perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing if Raduchanu missed out anyway and was forced to try and make it through the qualifying rounds in Melbourne and elsewhere, even if it might raise some eyebrows among some of her prestigious sponsors.

What may be overlooked is that she has played relatively little high-level tennis so far – just 64 matches in the full-level WTA Tour main draw and only 49 against players in the top 100.

Following her triumph at Flushing Meadows, it was noted that she had missed many of the ingredients needed to maintain a top-level career.

This is even more true now because while there has been a lack of truly outstanding players at the top of the women’s game in recent years, the overall depth of the game has improved. She is also a target for opponents, although perhaps to a lesser extent than before.

With Raducanu, it became clear that she was determined to do things her way. If she achieves the much-coveted physique, we’ll find out whether her and her father’s sometimes unconventional approach is the right one or a reckless miscalculation.

Some have been puzzled by the fact that she has not assembled a dedicated coaching and fitness team around her and is relying largely on Lawn Tennis Association staff to help her come back.

Raducanu showed she was close to a comeback by sharing a post of her blisters on her hands with the caption “Welcome back” where the 21-year-old is set to return for the new season.

The key for her now is to find a way to stay fit and safe for the foreseeable future.

She missed a scheduled return to an exhibition in Macau this month. Instead, she went to Hong Kong to combine her studies with commercial work for HSBC.

No, this is definitely not your average British No.9.

Given that there is not much stiff competition for Raducana, expectations of what she can achieve at the start of the season should be tempered.

It’s unclear whether she’ll learn the lessons of the past, but staying healthy will definitely be key.

If rebuilding the rankings means Raducanu returning to qualifying competition or revisiting some of the less glamorous tournaments of professional tennis, it should not be seen as weakness or lack of ambition.