"I've been struggling with blisters since I started playing in Australia, just can't grip the racquet"- Emma Raducanu after 2R loss to Kovinic

Emma Raducanu's maiden campaign at the Australian Open came to an end with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 second-round loss to Danka Kovinic on Thursday. The reigning US Open champion looked set for a comeback after winning the second set, but visibly struggled with blisters in her hand throughout the decider.

In her post-match presser, Raducanu revealed that she had been battling the problem ever since her arrival in Melbourne earlier this month. She explained that it was difficult for her to get a grip on her racquet which is why she largely opted to slice her forehands to avoid aggravating the problem.

"I have been struggling with blisters since I started playing really in Australia, because 21 days, no tennis, my hands got pretty soft," said Raducanu, who was in isolation last month after testing positive for COVID-19. "It's in a very awkward position and it's so difficult to tape."

"It's just the position of it. It's right in the crease. I just can't grip the racquet. Like every time I hit, make contact with the ball, it would create an impact. So it's very painful. I think anyone that knows me knows I do not hit slice forehands. Probably hit more in that match than I have in two, three years," she added.

The Brit further revealed that the state of her blisters was such that members of her team were against the idea of her taking the court on Thursday. She added that the match was nevertheless a "good learning experience" for her.

"It was a difficult match," the she continued. "I was struggling with my hand before the match. There were some people in my team that maybe didn't want me to play, but I wanted to go out there and fight through it, see how far I could get. But I thought it was a pretty good learning experience for me."

When asked what she took away from her run in Melbourne this week, Raducanu said she was happy to have discovered newer elements of her game and was proud of the fighting spirit she embodied on court.

"I really enjoy playing the Grand Slams," she said. "I did discover elements of my game I didn't know I had before, and I can use that going forward. Also, I know that I've got that fight in me, even if I have got, like, one shot, I know that I can pull myself out of deep situations. So I'm quite proud of that."

"After this I want to do as much of catchup as possible in terms of fitness" - Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu in action at the 2022 Australian Open

The 19-year-old proceeded to shed light on her plans going forward. She said she would work towards improving her fitness and make up for the time she lost to COVID-19 isolation in December. She also hinted at her participation in upcoming tournaments in Mexico and the Middle East.

"After this I've got a few weeks where I want to try and do as much catchup as possible in terms of fitness and my preseason, because I missed it actually in December. So try and do a bit of work there. There is not much time, but, I mean, there are some tournaments in Mexico or the Middle East, and it's just a matter of time before Indian Wells," Raducanu said.