Burrage's luck turns in victory over Jeanjean but Gauff awaits

After a 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 end.

- Tumaini Carayol

One point away from one of the most significant victories of her career, the 25-year-old's forehand clipped the top of the net and dribbled down on to the opposite side of the court as a clean winner. Finally, her luck has turned.

The emotions flowed as soon as Burrage's 6-2, 6-4 first-round victory against 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.

In her career Burrage has beaten many superior tennis players to Jeanjean, 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 being told initially by local doctors that the injury would set her back only 10 days, she was eventually informed the subsheath holding down the tendon in her wrist had crumbled and, having undergone three ankle surgeries, a fourth career surgery awaited. She was expected to be out for four to six months.