GB Eye BJK Cup Glory Without Raducanu

GB Have ‘Real Shot’ at Billie Jean King Cup Glory Without Raducanu

Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong says her team have a “real shot” at winning the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup, even without top-ranked Emma Raducanu, who opted to continue her WTA campaign at the Korea Open instead of joining the GB squad in Shenzhen.

Billie Jean King Cup 2025 – GB v Japan

• Date: 18 September

• Venue: Shenzhen, China

• Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer (UK only) & BBC Sport website/app (live text commentary)

Raducanu Withdraws for WTA Focus

Raducanu, the British number one and 2021 US Open champion, made the decision to prioritize her development under new coach Francisco Roig, choosing to play in Seoul at the Korea Open instead.

This marks another BJK Cup absence for Raducanu, who also missed April’s qualifiers to train in Los Angeles with her former coach Mark Petchey.

While Katie Boulter will now lead the team in singles, Raducanu’s replacement is Francesca Jones, joining Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage for the opening tie against Japan.

Boulter & Keothavong React to Raducanu Absence

Boulter, GB’s No. 1 in Raducanu’s absence, acknowledged her teammate’s value:

“We would have loved Emma here. She’s a huge asset. But we have to focus on the girls who are here and ready to fight.”

Captain Keothavong also addressed the situation with clarity:

“It’s disappointing, but I want to focus on the players who got us here. We beat Germany and the Netherlands in April—this team has earned the right to fight for the title.”

Japan Without Naomi Osaka

GB won’t be the only team missing a star player. Japan’s Naomi Osaka has withdrawn after her impressive run to the US Open semi-finals, leveling the playing field for Thursday’s opening clash.

Confidence from Past Performances

Great Britain are second seeds for the eight-team Finals and have reached the semi-finals twice in recent years.

Keothavong remains optimistic:

“We’ve come close before. We’re here to win it. We want to be world champions.”

Team Chemistry and Experience

The current lineup brings continuity and experience from the successful April qualifiers in The Hague. Kartal, Burrage, and Boulter all featured then and will aim to repeat their winning form in China.

 “It’s great to have the same group back. There’s a lot of trust and familiarity,” said Boulter.