Emma Raducanu snaps back at her critics as Great Britain crash out of Billie Jean King Cup
Yesterday at 08:06 PM
Great Britain spurned a glorious chance to reach the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, but Emma Raducanu sent out a message of intent for the 2025 season.
Raducanu has endured a troubled few months that have seen her spend time away from the court for injury reasons and also due to her scheduling decisions.
It seemed as if her 2024 campaign was over as she injured her foot in her opening tournament of the Asian swing in Korea in September and she had not played a competitive match since then after being forced to pull out of a string of events.
After some intense training at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in London in recent weeks, Raducanu returned to form in impressive fashion with three big wins at the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga.
Britain appeared to be heading for their first final in the competition since 1981 when Raducanu defeated Slovakia’s Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4, 6-4 and Katie Boulter won the opening set against Rebecca Sramkova.
Yet Boulter could not maintain her form as she went down in three sets and Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls lost against Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova in the doubles.
So it will be Slovakia playing Italy in the Final, but the positive vibes from Raducanu’s week can only bode well for the new year and she looked back on the last few weeks with an upbeat verdict.
“Of course, I wanted to continue in the Asia swing,” said Raducanu, as she reflected on her unfortunate break in recent weeks. “I think I was playing some good tennis again in Seoul, and I was really feeling pretty good on those courts out there.
“Unfortunately I injured my foot. There were so many tournaments, and I wasn’t defending any points at the back end of the year, so of course I wanted to play. I think I just took the time and used it in a really proactive and productive way.
“I come back now, I feel like everything happens for a reason. It gave me time to work on certain things. Two days ago I served 10 aces, for example, which I did in Seoul in my last match, but it’s been a work in progress. It doesn’t just happen overnight.
“Even if I was a little bit at the time disappointed, now I feel pretty good, and I don’t look back with any regrets.
“I think you just have to use whatever cards that you’re dealt. I think you can’t change a situation or I couldn’t in that moment. You know, not trying to live in the past or the future, just being present. You know, trying to adapt with what you’ve got.
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“I knew there were certain things I could improve, and I just really took the time. You know, just thought about my game differently. Practiced those things, and I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot with my tennis right now.
“The biggest challenge after a long lay off is more the introduction to match play again. It’s so different. The difference between a practice match and a real stakes match, that’s another transition.”
Raducanu went on to suggest Britain have a winning team in the making if she can team up with Boulter again next year.
"I think we were right there," added Raducanu.
"A few points kind of swung it in the second singles, but Boults has been playing great singles matches. We have been winning in singles the last two ties and didn't even need a doubles.
"I think we definitely have a winning team. I think we can improve certain things but, overall, I think we did a really good job and there is a lot of positives to take."
Great Britain may be disappointed to be out of the Billie Jean King Cup when they were eyeing up a place in the deciding match of the tournament, but Raducanu leaves Malaga will a more positive full stop on her season than she may have expected a few weeks ago.
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