Emma Raducanu skips Billie Jean King Cup finals to play Korea Open, trains in Barcelona with Roig
British No. 1 turns down Team GB call-up, citing preparation under new coach and takes a wildcard into Seoul
Emma Raducanu will not represent Great Britain at this month’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen, opting instead to accept a wildcard into the Korea Open in Seoul and continue training in Barcelona under new coach Francisco Roig.
The 22-year-old British No. 1, who helped Britain reach the BJK Cup semi-finals last year by winning all her matches in Malaga, posted images from an intensive training week at the BTT Academy in Spain. She captioned one post, "Sun in September," followed by a shocked-face emoji, and added, "Good week :)." The photograph showed Raducanu alongside Roig, who had his arm around her.
Raducanu’s decision, confirmed to Team GB on the morning it became public, leaves captain Anne Keothavong and the Lawn Tennis Association without their top-ranked player for the finals, which run Sept. 16-21. The LTA named Fran Jones as Raducanu’s replacement and said it remained confident in the squad’s chances.
"Of course we are disappointed. However, we believe we have a great team and we're looking forward to competing in Shenzhen," an LTA spokesperson said.
This is the second time Raducanu has withdrawn from Britain’s BJK Cup squad this year; she pulled out of the April group-stage ties against Germany and the Netherlands after a busy tournament stretch and, at the time, following an encounter with a stalker that she said had affected her wellbeing. The earlier withdrawal allowed teammates Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal to step up and help secure Britain’s place in the finals.
British media reported the rationale behind the latest decision as a desire to prioritise development under Roig and to build on momentum from the North American hardcourt swing. The Daily Mail reported that improving her ranking to secure seeding at the Australian Open in January may also have been a factor. Raducanu did not directly address her reasons in the social-media post.
The absence of Britain’s top player is a competitive setback for the team and a commercial hit for the event. Raducanu’s profile, including a significant Chinese fanbase tied to her heritage and around 2.9 million social-media followers, has been cited as a marketable asset for international competitions.
The scheduling pressures of the WTA calendar and international team competitions have been under scrutiny in recent seasons, and Raducanu’s withdrawal underlines the tensions players face when balancing personal preparation, ranking objectives and national duty. Britain will now proceed in Shenzhen without Raducanu, relying on a squad that already produced the results to reach the finals earlier this year.
Raducanu will play in Seoul after her Barcelona training block as she seeks to rebuild form and consistency under Roig. The LTA and Team GB will travel to Shenzhen to contest the Billie Jean King Cup finals from Sept. 16-21.