Great Britain out to demonstrate strength in depth at Billie Jean King Cup
Five months on from the heartbreak of Málaga, where they came so close to battling for the Billie Jean King Cup trophy before succumbing to Slovakia in a brutal semi-final, Great Britain will begin their pursuit of the sport's flagship team competition as they face Germany on Friday and the Netherlands on Saturday in The Hague for a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
They will attempt to do so without Emma Raducanu, a key figure in the team's recent success. Last year, Raducanu led them to the Finals in Málaga with two-high quality victories against France on clay. She ended 2024 5-0 in the competition.
Raducanu's absence is even more significant considering recent events. Two weeks ago, the 22-year-old made her first real breakthrough on the WTA tour since her US Open title run by reaching the quarter-finals of the Miami Open. Her team cited the need to prioritise her body as the main reasoning behind her decision to withdraw. The GB captain, Anne Keothavong, said on Thursday that she was empathetic of the decision .
'Naturally disappointed,' she said. 'But I understand where she's coming from. She gave a lot to this team last year and was a huge part of the reason why we achieved the success that we did. I've got five players here who are highly motivated, who are excited to be here and are well prepped. I really hope Emma will be part of this again in the future.'
Keothavong still boasts a solid team picked from the deepest pool of players Great Britain has had in many years. Few are as conscious of the improvement than Keothavong, whose success on the WTA tour ended a grim barren period for British women.
'I do feel in a really privileged position that we have the strength and depth,' said Keothavong. 'Women's tennis in Britain has come a long way. The flip side of that provides a lot of sleepless nights and headaches for me in trying to make a decision, but you'd much rather have it that way and have a pool of players to choose from and rely on.'
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There are three British women inside the top 60 – Katie Boulter (40), Raducanu (47) and Sonay Kartal (60). Others are not so far away. Harriet Dart, who has spent the past few years inside the top 100, sits at No 108. Jodie Burrage, a late replacement for Raducanu, was a top 100 player until significant injury problems sidelined her for much of the year. Olivia Nicholls has established herself as a solid doubles player and is ranked No 31 after an impressive run to the final of Indian Wells. Aside from Raducanu, all are present in the Netherlands.
They will face tough competition from two evenly matched teams. Germany, who Britain defeated in Málaga last year, boast three top 100 players in Eva Lys, Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund, who is also a top doubles player and a former US Open mixed doubles champion. Suzan Lamens is the only top 100 singles player for the Netherlands, but they also boast a notable doubles player in Demi Schuurs. Although Boulter and Kartal, if they are chosen, would enter each singles match as the higher-ranked player, the indoor clay courts will make every contest difficult.
After the termination of the planned 25-year, multi-billion dollar Davis Cup agreement between Gerard Pique's Kosmos and the ITF, and the subsequent separate transformation of the Billie Jean King Cup in line with the men's competition, this year the ITF has reorganised both competitions. Eight teams will contest the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, down from 12 in recent years. The ITF announced on Thursday that the Finals, which will take place in Shenzhen, has been moved forward by two months and will take place between 16 and 21 September during the WTA's Asia swing.
With six groups in action this weekend, only the winner from each group will advance. Great Britain will hope to demonstrate its depth by navigating a path to the final stages once again.
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The Herald Scotland
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The National
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It's nice not to feel that intense pressure or stress because so often, I've been rushing to get ready for the next thing,' the 34-year-old says. 'Last year, I was rushing to get back from knee surgery to make it to the Paris Olympics then almost immediately, I felt like I was constantly fighting against time to be ready for the London Marathon. 'So this is the first time ever that I've felt like okay, I've ticked my box for the year and so if I do another marathon in 2025 then great but if I don't then it doesn't actually matter. "It's now up to me what I want to do for the rest of the year instead of feeling like I'm constantly rushing to get ready for the next championship and running out of time. 'It means I now feel the least pressure I've felt during my whole career, and that's really, really nice.' 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South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
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