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An emotional Jodie Burrage revealed she considered retirement after battling to recover from more injury setbacks last season.
The 25-year-old was at a career-high ranking of 84 when she suffered a wrist injury in February that needed surgery – the fourth operation of her career – and she was just on the point of a return when her ankle ligament ruptured during a training session with Katie Boulter.
That ruled her out of the final three grand slams of the season but it was as she tried to battle her way back up the rankings by playing at lower-tier events that the darkest moments came.
She recalled a training session in London, saying: “I was basically crying mid-session saying, ‘I don’t know how much more fight I’ve got’.
“I fought so hard to get back to a position where I could even play the sport, and then I was winning matches, obviously those ITF (International Tennis Federation) events, making semis and stuff, but it’s not where I wanted to be and wasn’t happy with how I was playing.
“I didn’t know how much more fight I had. It takes a lot. But that’s the funny thing about tennis. Literally five days later, start in Slovakia, make final, and then I win the biggest title of my career in Dubai.
“It’s very up and down. It was hard. Those six months were really, really hard.”
I didn’t know how much more fight I had. It takes a lot.
That success in Dubai in November coupled with two wins at the WTA Tour event in Auckland to start the season have lifted Burrage’s ranking back up to 173, while her protected ranking from before her injury lay-off earned her direct entry into the Australian Open.
She is enjoying being back in the big time, with privileges like transport from the airport and new balls for practice sessions a notable difference from the lower tier events she has been playing.
Burrage will open her campaign on Monday against French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean and is motivated to try to reach new heights.
“For some reason, I love this crazy sport,” said Burrage. “That’s what kept me going. The fight, being here, working hard, working towards something. I feel like I’ve got so much more to give in this sport.
“I feel like my level is only just surfacing. The last few weeks I’m starting to see that level that I want to get back to. And then I can see myself going higher.”
Burrage has felt some soreness in her wrist, which she attributes to being sent the wrong strings by her racket company, but she will not hold back on court.
“I still have PTSD every time I run for a drop shot, and I am not practising with Katie Boulter ever again,” she said with a rueful smile. “Every time I’m on the practice court with her, I hurt myself. Genuine. I fractured my knee against her, done my ankle.
“If I’m going to play this sport, I can’t come back and be worried every time I step on the court about doing my ankle or hitting another backhand and my wrist just popping again.
“If it does, too good. If it does, that’s going to be my story. How many times can I mess up my body and come back from it? That’s where I’m at right now actually with what I’m trying to do.
“I’m not trying to be number one in the world, I’m just trying to mess my body up as many times and come back from it. So, yeah, we’ll be brave.”
The first British player in action on Sunday will be debutante Sonay Kartal, who soared up the rankings in the second half of 2024, winning a maiden WTA Tour title as a qualifier in Tunisia.
The 23-year-old also came through qualifying to reach the third round of Wimbledon and, ahead of her clash with Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, she said: “I have started this year kind of feeling like I’m where I belong, playing the bigger events, and I think that my tennis has kind of proven that for me.
“It’s definitely nice, and then mixing with the girls that are the best of the world. I think that I put myself in the best possible position I could. I’m exactly where I wanted to finish the end of the year last year and I’m in a good place physically.”
