Raducanu pulls out of Billie Jean King Cup in Shenzhen for Korea Open
Decision is a major blow to Britain’s hopes of progress, with Anne Keothavong’s team set to face Japan in the quarter-finals
Emma Raducanu has pulled out of Britain’s team for this month’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals to play in a WTA tournament.
The 22-year-old was set to lead Britain’s line-up in Shenzhen in a couple of weeks’ time but has instead decided to play in the Korea Open the same week, for which she has been offered a wild card.
Raducanu’s decision is a major blow to Britain’s hopes of progress, with Anne Keothavong’s team set to face Japan in the quarter-finals on September 18.
Raducanu has spoken of how much she enjoys playing in the team competition and she has an excellent record, having won her last five singles matches, including three at last year’s finals, where Britain reached the semi-finals.
However, she opted not to play in the group stage in April, choosing to do a training block instead – and this decision is likely to go down like a lead balloon.
The PA news agency understands that Raducanu and her team believe she needs to prioritise playing WTA events and spending time on the road with new coach Francisco Roig after a positive start to their partnership.