Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup squad took a hit when British No. 1 Emma Raducanu pulled out of the team tournament last week, opting to play a regular WTA Tour event instead. Team GB are through to the BJK Cup Finals in Shenzhen – essentially the World Cup of women’s tennis – to face Japan in next Thursday’s quarter-final tie.
The British team had a tough task against Japan, as their squad boasted four-time Major winner Naomi Osaka. But Osaka has now followed Raducanu in pulling out of the competition, meaning the likes of Katie Boulter and co don’t have to worry about trying to beat the former world No. 1.
The final line-ups for next week’s BJK Cup Finals have been unveiled, with some teams facing withdrawals following the recent US Open. There was “disappointment” last week when Raducanu revealed she would no longer be representing her country.
The world No. 34 was announced in Britain’s four-woman squad earlier this summer. However, she has taken a wildcard into the WTA 500 tournament in Seoul instead, in a bid to focus on building her singles ranking.
An LTA spokesperson said: “Of course we are disappointed. However, we believe we have a great team and we’re looking forward to competing in Shenzhen.”
With Boulter, Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage already in the team, British No. 4 Francesca Jones has been named as Raducanu’s replacement. The captain is Anne Keothavong.
But the 2021 US Open champion wasn’t the only player to change their scheduling plans next week. Former world No. 1 Osaka has also decided not to represent Japan following her successful North American hard-court summer.
The 27-year-old reached the final of the WTA 1000 in Montreal before storming into the semi-finals of the US Open, her best Grand Slam result since 2021.
Osaka is now back up to No. 13 in the rankings and would have been a dangerous opponent for anyone in the BJK Cup Finals.
But her name was absent from the final list of team members released this week. The Japanese squad now comprises Moyuka Uchijima, Ena Shibahara, Nao Hibino, Eri Hozumi and Shuko Aoyama.
The winner of the Britain vs Japan quarter-final tie will face either Kazakhstan or the US in the quarter-finals.
Madison Keys has also withdrawn from the tournament and will no longer represent the USA, while Qinwen Zheng will not be in the Chinese team as she continues to recover from surgery.
To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or newsletter