Emma Raducanu divided opinion after making a decision to skip representing her nation in the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup and instead play a WTA tournament in Seoul.
Raducanu left BJK Cup captain Anne Keothavong ‘disappointed’, as Great Britain are now without their number one player for the Finals in Shenzhen.
Instead the 2021 US Open champion has elected to compete at the Korea Open, which has been heavily disrupted due to rain.
After finally making it on court to win her first round match, Raducanu has now explained her thinking behind the decision.
Emma Raducanu justifies decision to skip BJK Cup Finals
Raducanu beat world number 41 Jacqueline Cristian, 6-3 6-4, in a match that was far from straightforward.
After winning her first match since the US Open, Raducanu spoke in her post-match press conference where she was asked about her decision to withdraw from Great Britain’s BJK Cup squad.
In her response, Raducanu spoke about her new coach Francisco Roig and how she still thought it was important to get some more time with him in the early stages of their tenure.
“It was a truly difficult decision. I love the BJK Cup so much, and I gave it my all last year, even under difficult circumstances,” said Raducanu.
“However, the Korea Open was a crucial time for me to get used to my new coach, Francis, and even though it was the end of the season, I felt it was more important to work with an experienced coach ahead of the Asian swing. I wanted to prioritize working with him and further developing myself.
“Having the opportunity to develop with such an experienced coach was the main reason I decided to participate in the Asia Series, starting with this Korea Open.”
Raducanu has not competed in the BJK Cup this year, but played a key role in Great Britain reaching the semifinals in 2024 after winning all five of her matches.
Emma Raducanu says if she has found the rain delays stressful at the Korea Open
Despite justifying her decision to play the Korea Open instead of the BJK Cup Finals, it has not been an easy start for Raducanu.
The rain delays have caused havoc for the WTA 500 tournament, and have continually delayed Raducanu’s match which was originally meant to take place on Tuesday.
When speaking about this, Raducanu suggested that it was even a struggle to get herself pumped up for the match, as there was so much uncertainty around when it would begin.
“This first round match finally took place after three days of anticipation. Because of the rain, we couldn’t practice or play properly,” answered Raducanu. “Because we had a schedule ahead of us, we had to come out early to warm up. It wasn’t easy.
“Entering the match suddenly and playing the match, my adrenaline and energy felt somewhat ordinary. I had to fight these emotions mid-match, but I’m happy that we overcame the challenges and won.”#
Regardless of the weather, it will certainly not get any easier for Raducanu, who now has to play two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejcikova.
If Raducanu does manage to beat Krejcikova, then there is a likely possibility that she will play top seed and Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, against whom she has lost all five previous meetings.
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