Former British No. 1 Anne Keothavong has expressed her disappointment following Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup team. The 2021 US Open champion had been officially listed by the LTA to compete in this weekend’s tie, but she ultimately pulled out of the event.
Raducanu had recently shown impressive form at the Miami Open, reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time in her career. During her run, she claimed her first-ever win over a top-10 player on hard courts by upsetting 8th seed Emma Navarro. She followed that up with victories over American McCartney Kessler and Dubai champion Amanda Anisimova, before narrowly falling to 4th seed Jessica Pegula in a three-set battle (4-6, 7-6, 2-6).
Raducanu was widely expected to feature prominently for Team GB in this week’s BJK Cup action, likely slotting in as the No. 2 singles player behind Katie Boulter. Her inclusion would have given the British side a formidable one-two punch in singles play.
With crucial matches ahead against the Netherlands and Germany, Raducanu’s absence is a major setback. Speaking to The Guardian, team captain Anne Keothavong said:
“Naturally disappointed. But I understand where she’s coming from. She gave a lot to this team last year and was a huge part of why we were successful. I’ve got five players here who are motivated, excited, and well-prepared. I really hope Emma will be part of this again in the future.”
Keothavong also touched on the broader state of British women’s tennis, saying:
“Women’s tennis in Britain has come a long way. The flip side of that progress is that I have more tough decisions to make—but that’s a good problem to have. It’s a luxury to be choosing from a strong pool of players.”
