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Tennis: Alcaraz, Raducanu excited to return from injury in 2023

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Rosy Mina

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="EPA-EFE/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/12/19/carlos.jpg"/><figcaption>Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz meets with the media held at the village of Guia de Isora, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on 22 November 2022. <em>Ramón de la Rocha, EPA-EFE/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – US Open champions Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain are raring to kick off their respective 2023 campaigns after having to end the 2022 season early due to injury.</p><p>Alcaraz, who became the youngest ATP World No. 1 in September when he won his first grand slam title in New York, is glad to be &quot;training normally&quot; after recovering from the abdominal muscle tear that forced him to retire during the Paris Masters quarterfinals in November.</p><p>“To play again, to compete again, and travel again. As I said before, I love playing tennis, I love to travel… I’m excited to come back to tournaments that I won, that I played, and where I feel great. I would say that’s what I’m excited about in the next season,” Alcaraz responded to ABS-CBN News during the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) press conference two weeks ago.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/18/22/rublev-downs-alcaraz-in-abu-dhabi-tennis-tournament">Rublev downs Alcaraz, Tsitsipas beats Ruud in Abu Dhabi</a></li></ul><p>The 19-year-old Spanish sensation took part in the MWTC exhibition event from December 16 to 18 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he lost in straight sets to World No. 8 Andrey Rublev of Russia and World No. 3 Casper Ruud of Norway.</p><p>Despite the defeats, Alcaraz is just overjoyed to be playing again, getting some match play along the way versus fellow top aces in the UAE capital. </p><p>Apart from the US Open, the youngest year-end ATP No. 1 also won this year&#x27;s Masters 1000 crowns in Miami and Madrid, plus the ATP 500 titles in Rio and Barcelona. </p><p>As for his target in the upcoming season, he said, “I’m gonna try to finish 2023 at the same position as right now. So it’s gonna be a long year but of course, I’m gonna enjoy.”</p><p>He is set to play at another exhibition event, the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne from January 10 to 12, before heading to the Australian Open.</p><p>Raducanu, the only qualifier to ever win a grand slam in Flushing Meadows in 2021 at age 18, shared that she feels “pretty good” physically after a wrist injury caused her to pull out of the Transylvania Open in Romania. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/17/22/jabeur-edges-raducanu-to-retain-abu-dhabi-crown">Tennis: Ons Jabeur edges Emma Raducanu to retain Abu Dhabi exhibition crown</a></li></ul><p>The 20-year-old Briton’s last tournament was in October at the Ostrava Open in Czech Republic.</p><p>“For next season, I’m excited to start again and try to apply the lessons that I’ve learned last year. I don’t think it will be necessarily smooth sailing but I’ll be more prepared and have a better idea of what is to come each event,” Raducanu said in response to ABS-CBN News during the MWTC Media Day. </p><p>After learning “just how taxing the season is physically,” the WTA World No. 78 mentioned that she has put in a good preparation during the preseason. </p><p>She also joined the MWTC to gain match play, and considers her three-setter loss to World No. 2 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia as a good experience because she played better than she expected. </p><p>Raducanu, who reached a career-high ranking of World No. 10 in July, hopes to remain healthy and injury-free in the coming year, which will be her second full season on the WTA Tour.</p><p>Admittedly, she wants to make inroads to not only the grand slams but every possible tournament as well.</p><p>“I love the big occasions. I love the big courts, the atmosphere. But yeah, any tournament for me. I think my goal in 2023 is probably to win a title,” she said.</p><p>Raducanu will begin her 2023 season in Auckland, New Zealand at the WTA 250 ASB Classic from January 2 to 8. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1772548" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

US Open champions Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain are raring to kick off their respective 2023 campaigns after having to end the 2022 season early due to injury.