Emma Raducanu insists she WILL play for Great Britain in future team events despite backing out of April’s Billie Jean King Cup – and claims she opted out after following medical advice on her ‘existing injuries’
Emma Raducanu has reassured British tennis bosses that she plans to represent GB in team competitions soon, despite opting out of next month’s Billie Jean King Cup.
The national number one insists that her absence is purely down to not wanting to risk her fragile fitness by switching from indoor hard courts to indoor clay with only two days’ adjustment.
With quarter final ranking points to defend from 2022 in Stuttgart (which is sponsored by one of her own sponsors) the following week on clay, Raducanu opted to sit out the World Group qualifying round in Coventry against France from April 14-15.
However, she would expect to resume playing after that, with either the World finals or a relegation playoff happening in November.
There is added incentive, because in order to play in next year’s Olympics she has to play at least one more match in national colours over the next 12 months.
Emma Raducanu has reassured British tennis bosses that she plans to represent Great Britain in team competitions in the near future, despite opting out of next month’s Billie Jean King Cup
Raducanu urged that she followed medical advice on her ‘existing injuries’ before backing out
‘I think because of my existing injuries, the best medical advice was to not switch surfaces at such short notice. So that’s what I’ve been told,’ said Raducanu in the wake of her first round defeat at the Miami Open.
‘Of course I would love to play the Billie Jean King Cup. It’s just this scenario is not the best for my body.
‘I really need to look after myself and do what’s best for me on the match court. I would love to play the Olympics.’
She is heading back to England with a priority to seek further advice on the worryingly persistent soreness in her wrist. Before departing Miami she described the current situation of managing her workload and wearing strapping as ‘not viable’ in the long term.