Emma Raducanu, the reigning British champion, has decided to leave the team for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this month so she can play on the WTA Tour instead.
After accepting a wildcard for the Korea Open in Seoul, Raducanu has chosen to play for her country in the eight-team finals in Shenzhen, China.
The 22-year-old believes that playing on tour will help her develop her game over the long run and aid her newly formed partnership with new coach Francisco Roig.
Roig and Raducanu met in Cincinnati last month and traveled to New York, where they advanced to the third round of the US Open.
In order to train with her then-coach Mark Petchey in Los Angeles, Raducanu also missed the April Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round in The Hague.
Given that Raducanu won all three of her singles matches when GB advanced to the semi-finals of the competition in Malaga last year, the decision is a significant blow to Britain’s chances of success in Shenzhen.
The remaining three members of the team, including compatriots Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, and Jodie Burrage, are available from captain Anne Keothavong with two more additions.
The team, which will first face Japan in a quarter-final tie on September 18, has a very high chance of adding the world’s 89-year-old Fran Jones.
Ironically, the International Tennis Federation changed the finals date by two months to try to draw in more elite players.
Players were anticipating a run of tournaments in Asia in Shenzhen before going back to China in November after the regular season was over.
After reaching the quarter-finals last year, Raducanu will have ranking points to defend in Seoul. The 36-year-old already has a good chance of being chosen to play at the Australian Open in January, where she will defend her title this year.
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Source: BBC
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