Kimiko Date Krumm’s inspirational journey on the WTA Tour may be coming to an unfortunate ending following medical tests on her knee.
Short after the Australian Open, the 45-year-old announced that she will undergo surgery on her left knee. At that start of the month, the world No.198 was optimistic about a return to the sport.
“I’ve decided to have an endoscope surgery on my left-knee meniscus,” Date-Krumm told Mainichi.jp.
“I had an MRI a day after returning from the Australian Open, and the part where [there] was a crack now [has] a rupture. I thought about the life as an athlete and after. I don’t know when I can return, but I’ve decided on the unknown of having an operation and the ensuing rehab, believing I can stand on the court again one day.”
It has now been revealed that the doctors test has found that the condition of the Japanese player’s knee is ‘worse than expected’. According to The Japan Times, last week’s procedure concluded that her meniscus was badly worn out. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your thighbone and shinbone. Writing a blog entry on Sunday, Date-Krumm confirmed that she is weighing up her options.
“As an athlete, it will be beyond tough to live life without taking part in sport,” Date-Krumm said.
“If I decide to have surgery again, it’s unavoidable that it will take a long time for me to come back.
“I want to think long and hard before deciding on the best possible option.”
Date-Krumm’s life on the tour has been one that other players envy. Playing her first Grand Slam at the 1989 French Open, the Japanese player achieved a ranking best of 4th in the world in 1995. She reached the semifinals at three Grand Slam tournaments between 1994-1996. During 1991-1996, she reached 13 WTA finals, claiming titles in seven of them.
Originally retiring from the sport in 1996, Date-Krumm announced a surprise comeback to the tour in 2008 at the age of 37. The comeback saw triumph for the Japanese player when she won the 2009 Korean Open to become the second oldest title winner in the Open Era on the WTA Tour. During her second stint on the tour, the 45-year-old has finished her season in the top 100 on three occasions (2009- 82nd, 2010 – 46th and 2013 54th). In 2013 she reached the third round of the Wimbledon Championships at the age of 42. During her time at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, she shed some light on how she copes with life on the tour at her age.
“I’m taking care of my body more, because of course the most difficult thing is recovery. I need to do fitness training, but if I do too much, I feel tired. For example, this past week I practiced Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning, then fitness in the afternoons. But after three days of that, I took one day off. Then Sunday, Monday I had just one practice“. She said in 2013.
Currently Date-Krumm has played 711 matches on the tour, winning 447 of them.
