British Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion who is preparing to return to the courts at the Auckland tournament this week after undergoing surgeries on her ankle and wrist, mentioned that she feels "reborn." Raducanu said, "Yes, I feel like I've been kind of reborn. I feel refreshed, I feel ready, and I feel happy and excited." The 21-year-old Raducanu missed most of the tournaments in the 2023 season after undergoing surgeries on her wrists and ankle, but she will return through the Auckland tournament thanks to the ranking protection system, a year after exiting the tournament in tears due to an ankle injury in a second-round match. Currently, Raducanu is ranked 298th in the world, having previously reached a career-high of 10th in July 2022.