“I am doing what I can to be ready”: Emma Raducanu facing race against time with Billie Jean King Cup in mind

Emma Raducanu will aim to be ready for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals as opposed to being sure she will play as she faces a race against time to join up with the Great Britain team after her latest setback.

Raducanu withdrew yesterday from the Hong Kong Open which is set to take place next week and was her next tournament after withdrawing from Ningbo, Wuhan and Guangzhou among others.

She got injured at the China Open in Beijing and after targeting a big Asian swing hasn’t really gone to plan at all. But despite being out for some time, it is more of a try to be ready as opposed to that she will be.

Raducanu is due to join up with the Great Britain squad in November in Malaga to play the Billie Jean King Cup. She anchored from the front when they qualified for the Finals with a superb win over France. She was in great clay court form back then but then puzzlingly decided to skip the rest of the clay court season and return for Wimbledon.

She produced a good few weeks in the UK, but then snubbed the Olympic Games for the US and lost to Sofia Kenin in the first round of the US Open. It has not been plain sailing by any means but in withdrawing from her latest tournament, she at least offered up hope.

“Hellooo, I’m sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit. I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC,”