Emma Raducanu will not be travelling with the Great Britain squad to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen this September. The British No.1 was the most conspicuous omission from the team announced by captain Anne Keothavong, which instead features Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage.
Raducanu has not competed since mid‑June, when she produced a career‑best performance on grass by reaching the final at the Queen's Club Championships. That impressive run was abruptly halted by a lingering injury, and a subsequent stress fracture in her lower right leg forced her to pull out of Wimbledon. The fracture kept her off the court for roughly six weeks, and she has not taken a competitive match since the injury. While the British Lawn Tennis Association has not issued an official statement linking her absence to her health, the timing suggests that her ongoing recovery played a major role in the decision to leave her out of the squad.
She was also not selected for the team that secured a qualifying victory over Australia in April, even though she was fit at that time. The regulations allow the captain to add a fifth player closer to the start of the tournament, which runs from September 22 to September 27, but as of now no such addition has been announced. The decision raises fresh questions about Raducaru's readiness for the upcoming US Open, the Grand Slam she famously won as a 18‑year‑old in 2021.
The US Open kicks off on August 30 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app. If her recovery does not progress quickly enough, she could miss another major event in quick succession, compounding the setbacks she has endured over the past year. Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup campaign continues without her. In Raducanu’s absence, the team defeated Japan to reach a third consecutive semi‑final, where they eventually fell to the United States.
Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, Great Britain opens with a quarter‑final against the Czech Republic, a nation that has claimed the title eleven times. The winner of that tie will face either Spain or Kazakhstan in the next round. Defending champions Italy will meet China in their opening match, while Ukraine and Belgium contest the remaining quarter‑final on the opposite side of the draw.
Captain Keothavong praised the selected players, saying, "It’s a great achievement to reach the Billie Jean King Cup Finals again and I am naming my initial nominations for the GB team. I’m pleased to select Katie Boulter, who knows what it’s like to step up on occasions like this, and the three women who played with so much heart and courage to upset Australia earlier this year, namely Harriet Dart, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage.
Czechia will be a very challenging first match for us but the players and I believe in our chances, since we have a very strong record in recent finals." The schedule, listed in UK and Ireland times, is as follows: - Tuesday, September 22 – Czech Republic vs Great Britain (10:00) - Wednesday, September 23 – Spain vs Kazakhstan (10:00) - Thursday, September 24 – Ukraine vs Belgium (03:00) and China vs Italy (no earlier than 10:00) - Friday, September 25 – Winner of quarter‑final 1 vs winner of quarter‑final 2 (10:00) - Saturday, September 26 – Winner of quarter‑final 3 vs winner of quarter‑final 4 (10:00) - Sunday, September 27 – Winner of semi‑final 1 vs winner of semi‑final 2 (10:00) For tennis fans eager to follow the US Open and other major events, Sky Sports offers live coverage from August 30 onward, with additional streaming through NOW and the Sky Sports app. Subscribers can enjoy more than 50 % extra live sport this year at no extra charge. Further details and subscription options are available on the Sky Sports website.
Overall, Raducanu’s omission underscores the challenges she faces in returning to full fitness after a series of injuries. While her talent remains unquestioned, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether she can recover in time for the US Open and re‑establish herself as a contender on the world stage.