Emma Raducanu breezes past Shelby Rogers into Australian Open second round

The British player stunned the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as a qualifier, but struggled for form in 2022 and suffered an injury-ravaged 2023. Only on one other occasion has she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

A year ago in Melbourne, she managed to win a round just weeks after surgery to have a cyst removed from her knee and later in the year needed a wrist operation.

Now ranked 296 after an eight-month layoff with ankle and wrist injuries, she said before the tournament that her level was "just too good not to come through".

Raducanu showed glimpses of her best against the 161st-ranked Rogers, converting three of five break points.

It earned her a second-round clash with China's unseeded Wang Yafan.

"(Last year) I travelled here on a wheelchair," she told reporters. "I only started hitting three days before the match. That whole process was a lot of stress. We weren't sure if I was going to be able to play here.

"I think this year and now there's just a lot more calm. It's amazing to be pain-free with the wrists. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get to this stage.

"I had pain for so long. I was playing since before the US swing in 2022 all the way before surgery. It was difficult because I wasn't able to train, I wasn't able to practice."

Raducanu, who has been criticised for chopping and changing her coaching team, has reunited with childhood coach Nick Cavaday, who is with her in Australia.

"Just think setting things up how I really like. Just people around me, I think it's pretty calm now," she said. "It's nice to be with Nick. I've known him since I was a kid, feel very comfortable there.

"Just all aspects really of my life I feel like are calming down and settled. Obviously when you come back after eight months, have experienced three surgeries, you're just really grateful to be able to move freely."