New career Emma? Raducanu shows off impressive skills she picked up during trip to China while her recovery from injury continues

• Emma Raducanu underwent ankle and wrists surgery in May 
• The 2021 US Open champion is targeting a return to action in 2024 
• Raducanu fell outside the top-200 in the WTA rankings last month

Emma Raducanu appears to be as comfortable in front of a blank canvas as she is on the court.

The British tennis star shared a video on Instagram of herself painting what appears to be a Terracotta Army a warrior in a traditional dress and the results are impressive.

The clip starts off with Raducanu standing in front of a white canvas, before she begins sketching the contours of her painting going off a picture she has on her phone.

By the time the video ends, the 2021 US Open winner can be seen applying the finishing touches to the painting. 

Raducanu, whose mother is Chinese, said revealed the session took place during her first trip to China in four years.

Emma Raducanu appears to have picked up painting as a hobby during her injury recovery

‘Four years later I could head back to China – just like home,’ Raducanu wrote on Instagram as caption.

‘I loved spending time absorbing the culture and trying my hand at something new while in recovery.’

It’s safe to say her foray into painting left fans impressed.

‘You’re watching a master at work,’ one wrote, while another added: ‘That’s actually very good, seriously impressed! Another string to your bow.’

A third suggested Raducanu ‘could easily sell this masterpiece’, while another fan noted the Briton should turn to art full-time once her tennis career is over.

‘Impressive. You could be an artist after you retire,’ the comment read, echoing the feeling shared by several others.

In the caption Raducanu noted she ‘added a small detail’ to the painting, which eagle-eyed viewers spotted as a scar on the wrist of the figure she painted.

The British tennis star shared a video on Instagram of herself painting what appears to be a Terracotta Army a warrior in a traditional dress

Raducanu underwent wrists and ankle surgery in May, which brought her season to an end

The detail is a nod to her ongoing recovery from undergoing surgery on both wrists and her ankle in May.

The surgeries forced Raducanu to miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and she has plummeted to No 280 in the WTA world rankings as a result.

The 20-year-old has provided regular updates over her recovery by posting videos of herself working out in the gym and at home.

Raducanu has been beset by injuries since she won the 2021 US Open

Raducanu hoped to make an autumn comeback after she returned to the practice court in August, but has since set her sights on returning to action next year. 

‘Next season I’ll be back,’ she told BBC Sport in September.

‘This season all the slams were finished so it was difficult to watch them go by but I was trying to stay in my lane as much as possible and keep focused on my recovery.

‘Wimbledon is the dream and always has been growing up. It’s still the ultimate dream to win Wimbledon.’ 

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