Billie Jean King Cup 2024: Emma Raducanu back as Great Britain take on Germany
If Raducanu is selected against Germany as expected, she will be tasked with giving her team the lead in three games before Katie Boult takes the field in the second singles match.
This is a recipe for success. Raducanu and Bolt won three of four singles matches to help Britain beat France in April’s qualifiers.
Bolt, ranked 24th in the world, is the nation’s leading player, and Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and doubles specialist Olivia Nicholls make up the Spanish team.
However, Raducanu has not played since September 21 when she withdrew from her Korea Open quarter-final match against Darya Kasatkina, but she insisted on Thursday Say you are ready.
“If I’m going to play, I feel good and confident to give it my all,” said Raducanu, who is “in discussions” about bringing Osaka’s former strength and conditioning coach Yu Nakamura into her team. team.
“I’ve been training for the past three weeks, working out properly, and last week I was out on the pitch having fun. It feels good.
“I’m excited to be in this position, especially since it’s definitely going to be longer than we thought. I feel like a great fit.”
Raducanu missed most of last season due to wrist and ankle surgery and has played in just 33 games this year.
There have been some encouraging moments on her way back to the top 60 in the world, but it has also required plenty of patience.
As Raducanu recovered from foot problems, she used her time away from the field to “detach.”
She spent quality time with her grandma who lived in China, improved her piano skills and read a bunch of books.
The mind is rested. But will the body be sharp?
“The acuity that comes with playing, and even though I haven’t played in a while, it’s good to have answers,” said Raducanu, before a painful first-round exit at the U.S. Open in August. , she regretted that she didn’t play enough games.
“I feel sharp and really good on the range and in the practice spots.
“Even though I had a much easier time racing in the second half of the season, I didn’t feel like I was too far behind.”
