Emma Raducanu will miss Britain's Billie Jean King Cup tie with France in April in favour of playing the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
After a prolonged struggle for form and fitness, the British No 1 is coming off the back of an impressive showing in Indian Wells, defying illness to beat two seeded players en route to the last 16. There, she came unstuck against eventual champion Iga Swiatek, but her displays arguably justified her wildcard entry into the Miami Open next week.
But whilst out in America, doubts arose over her commitment to Britain's forthcoming clash, telling reporters “I don’t even know when it is" when asked if she would be participating. The comment clearly irked team captain Anne Keothavong, who tweeted a 'puzzled face' emoji before writing: “My communication skills are generally good in case anyone was wondering.”
And sure enough, the 20-year-old has now opted to miss the clash, with Team GB fielding Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter, plus the doubles team of Olivia Nicholls and Alicia Barnett. In an added twist, Raducanu's preference to play in Germany potentially relates to her sponsorship deal with Porsche.
Raducanu has been much sought after ever since her stunning US Open win in September 2021. Six months after she wrote her very own fairytale of New York, the British No 1 was unveiled as a Porsche brand ambassador.
But the latest development will serve to enhance perception that Raducanu is reluctant to embrace team tennis. She also missed November’s BJK Cup finals in Glasgow, citing wrist problems.
At the start of 2023 though, she opted to enter a WTA 250 event in Auckland, rather than represent Britain in the United Cup in Sydney. The move backfired when she picked up an ankle injury in New Zealand, which briefly cast doubt on her Australian Open participation.
In America, Raducanu confirmed she had enjoyed a stint off social media to help her focus on tennis: “After AO (Australian Open) I deleted WhatsApp and Instagram off my phone and after that, I've been living under my own little rock," she said. "I felt like sometimes you go through patches where you just want to zone in on yourself and I was very content with my life without it."
The Stuttgart indoor clay event will start on April 16, with Swiatek heading in as the defending champion. The event is traditionally used by top female players to help them build for the French Open.
