Emma Raducanu maintained a positive outlook following a disappointing exit from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, where the 2021 US Open champion expressed satisfaction with her performance leading up to the 2025 season. In the semifinal tie held in Malaga, Raducanu secured a victory over Slovakia’s Viktorija Hruncakova with a score of 6-4, 6-4, marking her third consecutive straight-set win at the tournament after defeating Jule Niemeier and Rebecca Marino in earlier matches.
Raducanu’s strong start had positioned Great Britain as favorites against Slovakia, but the team’s momentum faltered as Katie Boulter lost to Rebecca Sramkova, and Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson fell to Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova, respectively. Despite her teammates’ struggles, Raducanu focused on her own performance.
“I think I had some good performances on the court this week. I played three matches, which is great for me. I haven’t played in a while, so being able to score a point and get on the board was helpful. The positives to take are that, physically, I held up pretty well. It didn’t take me too long to step back into that match sharpness,” the 22-year-old stated.
Boulter’s match against Sramkova began promisingly, with the world No. 24 winning the first set 6-2. However, she faced challenges in the second set, struggling to maintain her serve and ultimately losing the match after a hard-fought third set. Reflecting on the defeat, Boulter acknowledged her accomplishments this year, including two WTA titles and a career-high ranking of No. 23.
“Obviously, it’s going to be really important for me to take a moment for myself and remember what I’ve actually done this year. I’ve got two titles behind me and I’m at a career-high ranking. This week has also been great for me. I really want to use that next year, and I feel like I can push on,” Boulter said. She emphasized the need for personal recovery after a long season, expressing pride in her contributions to the team.
British captain Anne Keothavong remained optimistic about the team’s future, highlighting their potential to bounce back stronger. “We’ve got a fantastic team, and we need to find a way to pick ourselves up and maintain perspective,” she remarked.
Although Raducanu did not finish her 2024 season with a Billie Jean King Cup title, her three straight-set victories underscored her competitive spirit. After participating in only 13 WTA tournaments this year, the 2021 US Open winner sent a clear message to her competitors about her ambitions for 2025.
“Yeah, I think I started the year off pretty well for the first half, up to Wimbledon. Then I struggled a little bit more with my body. I wasn’t able to play the full calendar and stay on court as much as I would have liked. But I have to remind myself that I’m in the top 60 in the world and I’ve played less than 15 events, which is pretty unheard of. I know I’m a dangerous player, and I take pride in that. I’m looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year,” Raducanu concluded.
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