British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu is poised to make a much-anticipated comeback to the Billie Jean King Cup team to take on France next month. The 2021 US Open champion previously made her debut in the competition against the Czech Republic in 2022 but has been absent from the team since then.
Despite her hiatus from the court, the world No.250 is now fit and available for selection for the tie, set to occur on indoor clay in Le Portel near Boulogne on April 12-13. Raducanu, aged 21, is also slated to participate in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart the following week, and her involvement in the Billie Jean King Cup will ensure her eligibility to compete in the Olympics.
Lining up alongside Raducanu in the team are British No.1 Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, and Heather Watson. Captain Anne Keothavong expressed her enthusiasm, remarking, “I’m thrilled to be traveling with a full-strength team following some outstanding recent results. The French side will present a significant challenge as always, but we all recognize how representing GB inspires us, and each year we are growing stronger and improving as a team.”
In addition to Raducanu, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka will play for Japan for the first time since 2020, against Kazakhstan in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup ties. Despite her previous Grand Slam victory, Osaka will also be eligible for an Olympic wildcard.
Raducanu’s return to the Billie Jean King Cup team follows her recent success in Indian Wells, where she reached the third round and secured consecutive wins for the first time this season before being knocked out by world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
The winner of the upcoming tie between Britain and France will progress to the BJK Cup Finals, while the losing nation will compete in the play-offs. Raducanu had previously expressed her eagerness to participate in the competition when she stated, “I don’t know if I’ll get the call-up, but if she asks me to, I think it makes sense because it’s before Stuttgart [which is also] on indoor clay.”
This announcement has generated anticipation among tennis enthusiasts as they eagerly await Raducanu’s return to the international stage in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup tie against France.