Jodie Burrage’s luck finally turns to put nightmare run behind her at Australian Open
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After a rancid year filled with freak injuries, lengthy layoffs and doubts that dug deep into her soul, Jodie Burrage’s first grand slam match in 12 months could not have met a more satisfying ending. One point away from one the most significant victories of her career, the 25-year-old’s forehand clipped the top of the net and dribbled down onto the opposite side of the court as a clean winner. Finally, her bad luck has turned.
![[Burrage reacts after winning her first round match against Leolia Jeanjean.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/2d93416740288e01e02257274466c4d5c0ed9c37/0_0_2875_2057/master/2875.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The emotions flowed as soon as Burrage’s 6-2, 6-4 first-round victory over Leolia Jeanjean, a qualifier, was complete. First she covered her face with both hands in disbelief, then she retreated to her chair and wept into her towel. “It was always going to come out at some point,” she said later.
Burrage has beaten many superior tennis players to Jeanjean in her career, reached a WTA final and scaled as high as No 85 in the world in 2023. What made this success so important was the nightmare that preceded it. Eleven months ago, Burrage was enjoying the best period of her career as she travelled to San Diego. Half an hour into her first practice session there, she struck a backhand and felt a sharp pain in her wrist. Despite initially being told by local doctors that the injury would only set her back 10 days, she was eventually informed that the subsheath holding down the tendon in her wrist had crumbled and, having already undergone three ankle surgeries, a fourth career surgery awaited. She was expected to be out for four to six months.
Through her professional and diligent work, Burrage cut down her recovery period and she felt prepared to return at the French Open three and a half months later. Instead, the day before she was due to fly to Paris, Burrage slipped and turned her ankle. Subsequent tests revealed that she ruptured a ligament. Although she avoided a fifth surgery, her additional 10-week layoff forced her to miss the French Open and Wimbledon as her absence extended to six months.
