Emma Raducanu breaks down in tears during Korea Open win after skipping Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu became emotional on court during the opening set of her first-round match at the Korea Open on Wednesday, then recovered to beat Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets, a day after confirming she would skip Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup finals tie to compete in Seoul.

The 22-year-old, the British No. 1 and world No. 33, had been selected by Team GB captain Anne Keothavong for the finals in Shenzhen but chose to focus on the Asian hard-court swing and accumulating ranking points ahead of next year’s Australian Open. Raducanu’s decision, made at short notice, drew disappointment from Keothavong but cleared the way for the player to remain on tour in Asia.

Raducanu’s match against world No. 41 Cristian was delayed by heavy rain and standing water on court, forcing the players to wait before play could begin. During the opening set, Raducanu briefly broke down in tears for reasons she did not detail after the match. She regrouped, citing difficult conditions and long rallies, and completed the victory in straight sets to advance to the round of 16.

“I’m super happy to have won. It hasn’t been easy,” Raducanu said after the match. “I feel like I’ve played this match the last three days. To have pulled through after waiting, I’m super pleased at how I came through. Jaqueline is a really tough opponent and has had great results recently. (They were) tough conditions, very slow, long rallies and long points, so happy to have got through. A big thank you to everyone who came out here and supported through the rain.”

Raducanu is scheduled to play on the Korea Open centre court on Thursday against the tournament’s No. 8 seed, Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion. The match represents a significant test as Raducanu seeks to rebuild consistency and ranking position during the late-season Asian events.

Keothavong, who named Raducanu to the Billie Jean King Cup squad, said she was disappointed by the player’s withdrawal but emphasised her focus on the team selected to face Japan in Shenzhen. Keothavong brought in Fran Jones as a late replacement and will field Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage in the tie.

“It’s obviously disappointing, but I do want the main focus to be on the players I have and the challenge we have ahead,” Keothavong said. “I believe in the players that I’ve got. How the team were able to perform in April to get us into this position was fantastic, and I see no reason why we can’t do the same. Players will make decisions they feel is in their best interest, but my focus is just on this team. We take a huge amount of pride in this competition and we do want to be world champions.”

Raducanu helped Great Britain reach the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals last year in Malaga, but she did not participate in qualifiers this spring when Britain faced Germany and the Netherlands. Her most recent decision continues a pattern of prioritising tour events at certain points in the season, a choice that has prompted debate about players balancing national duty and individual schedules.

Images of Raducanu visibly emotional in Seoul prompted comparisons to an earlier incident this year in Dubai when she was forced to hide behind the umpire’s chair after a man exhibiting fixated behaviour attended her match. The individual handed her a letter during that tournament and was later given a restraining order; reports say he was subsequently caught attempting to buy Wimbledon tickets despite being banned from the event.

Raducanu did not elaborate on what prompted her distress on Wednesday, saying only that the match had been challenging. Her victory in Seoul keeps her in contention in the Korea Open and preserves an opportunity to collect hard-court points as she prepares for the 2026 season. Keothavong and her squad will continue their preparations for the Billie Jean King Cup finals meeting with Japan, with team members set to depart for Shenzhen ahead of the tie.