When the ATP500 kicks off in Washington this week, we'll see a player we haven't seen in a long time, Englishman Kyle Edmond. It is no exaggeration to say that the former British No. 1, who has been ranked as high as No. 14 in the world, has not featured in an ATP Tour singles draw for 21 months. He is currently ranked 639 in the world.
Edmund's last tour singles match was in Vienna in 2020. The player, who reached the last four of the Australian Open in 2018, had been feeling discomfort in his knee since then, but had been treated conservatively until November 2020, when he decided to have surgery.
He didn't expect the injury to be so complicated, however, and Edmund ended up having three knee operations that kept him out of the game for nearly two years. The third operation was in May this year, during which time he didn't even pick up a bat for five to six months.
When he chose to return in June, Edmund did not play singles but mixed doubles at Wimbledon to adjust to an already rusty atmosphere. Last week, the Briton was in Winnipeg, Canada, for the ATP Challenge, and it wasn't until this week's Washington stop that Edmund finally returned to tour singles action.
Edmund was happy to be back on the pitch after a complicated injury. He said that no matter when and where he starts, once he feels the atmosphere of the game is to make him feel grateful.
His compatriot Andy Murray clearly has a say in Edmund's situation. The Scot has also suffered a long spell with injury and at one point contemplated retirement. Station sign table Murray in Washington at a news conference about the regression of Edmund, he said: "for a long time back injury of players, what's the most difficult way need to put more effort on the training ground to let your body adapt to the rhythm of the game, at the same time in order to avoid injured again, whether physical or psychological need to take on more. Of course, patience is also very important, especially in the first few weeks back, winning matches is not as important as the long-term recovery plan."
Even before Murray's experience, Edmund had been inspired by his compatriot. Murray's two hip operations and difficult road back were good fodder for Edmund's constant self-encouragement as he recuperated.
The British are even finding new hobbies in the dull world of healing. He bought a camera to learn how to take pictures, mainly taking pictures of trees and birds near his home, and learning to edit pictures on the computer.
Edmund believes it is his love of tennis and life that keeps him going. Over the past eight weeks, he has competed in five races to test his knee's progress.
After Washington, Edmond chose to skip the Masters in Montreal and Cincinnati. Before the U.S. Open, he will also go to the ATP Challenge in Winston-Salem to get a feel for it.