Emma Raducanu showed off the horrific blister that hampered her during the Australian Open.
The teen fought valiantly through the pain but lost to Danka Kovinić in three tight sets in the second round at Melbourne Park.
After an impressive victory over 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in round one, the hand injury sustained by the 2021 champ at Flushing Meadows significantly affected her chances down under.
Now the injury appears to have been spotted in a snap from the world number 13’s trip to Singapore.
After enjoying a meal, Raducanu shared a snap of her showcasing the palms of her hands, and near the top of her right palm and below the ring finger, the painful blister can be seen.
She captioned the photo: “She wrote on Instagram : Singapore!! We worked, got stuck in (literally..), enjoyed the great culture, improved and had so much fun here.
“Thank you to everyone’s warm welcome, you made it even more special. I’ll be back!!”
Following her Australian Open exit, Raducanu admitted her team wanted her to pull out the match due to injury, but she opted to soldier on.
She said: "Before the match there were people in my team who didn’t want me to play.
“I have been struggling with blisters since I started playing really in Australia because 21 days, no tennis, my hands got pretty soft.
"From day one, day two, I was getting blisters pop up here and there.
"This particular one has been with me for about five days and I have been trying to tape it for every practice, and it would harden and dry out, but then once I would play again, another layer would just keep ripping off.
"It ended up being pretty deep. It's a bit annoying because I know it's something that will heal in a few days, but it's just unfortunate timing."
Since her triumph in New York last September, Raducanu has been the recipient of several awards and has now been shortlisted for the Laureus World Sports Awards.
The tennis star has been nominated for the World Breakthrough of the Year award, alongside athletes Yulimar Rojas and Neeraj Chopra, fellow tennis player Daniil Medvedev, footballer Pedri and swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
The teen shocked the world when she stormed to the US Open title without dropping a set.
She also had to come through the qualifying stages at Flushing Meadows.
The win propelled the Bromley local into the women’s top 15 and is the British number one.
Despite an early exit at the Australian Open, Raducanu is primed for success in 2022.
