Emma Raducanu has made the staggering revelation that all of her toenails have fallen off as a result of playing tennis.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday ahead of Great Britain's clash against the Czech Republic at the Billie Jean King Cup, Raducanu made the gruesome reveal.
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The 19-year-old US Open champion said she no longer has any toenails as a result of her feet sliding around in her shoes when she plays.
“I have no toenails," she said when asked if she was battling any injuries.
"It was just my foot, my shoes, they've just been sliding around a lot [in the shoe].
"I had a small niggle in Miami but now I have no physical thing.”
The bizarre occurrence is actually quite common in athletes due to small impacts on the toes over time.
GB teammates Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Sonay Kartal all laughed and smiled after Raducanu's revelation.
Team captain Anne Keothavong even said Raducanu's ailment had helped the team bond.
“I’ve always said these weeks are different to what they experienced at the usual kind of tennis tournaments and it’s really important that, as a team, we can create memorable moments," she said.
"I think we’ve been doing so. And we’re all a little scarred by Emma’s toes!"
Raducanu has struggled for form after becoming the first qualifier to win a grand slam at the US Open last year.
However the 19-year-old believes she can recapture her best play on the clay in Prague.
“I genuinely believe that clay could be one of my strongest surfaces," she said.
"I like moving because I feel like I have got a lot more potential physically. And I do enjoy sliding.
"So, after spending more time on this surface, I'm sure I'll time it better and learn more about the surface but also just the time that the clay brings.
"I feel like I can really use it and play aggressive whilst also being able to move. I am looking forward to spending more time on clay going forward.”
The British star has been working with Italian coach Riccardo Piatti – a clay-court specialist who has helped the likes of Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova.
“I went there to spend more time on clay. I hadn’t spent any prior to that," she said.
"(Coach) Torben (Betz) had been travelling for weeks and weeks and he went on holiday with his kids. He needed that family time.
"So, I thought I might as well take the opportunity to go to Italy and spend some more time on the dirt.”
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