“For me, it’s just about stacking good days”: Emma Raducanu explains mindset behind Top 30 return

Emma Raducanu is ready for her United Cup debut this Sunday, January 4, with a blockbuster showdown against former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka. It will be the second time the two former Grand Slam champions face each other, with both arriving in strong form and inside the Top 30.

The Great Britain team will make their debut this Sunday against Japan, who are coming off a defeat in their opening tie against Greece and will therefore need a 3–0 victory if they want to stay alive in the competition. It will mark Raducanu’s debut at the United Cup, taking over the role previously held by Katie Boulter as the team’s first singles player.

“I think it’s a great way to start the year being part of a team environment. It’s a little bit easier to settle into the year, which is so competitive and individual,” the 2021 US Open champion said on press conference.  “It’s nice to share this with the team. We all get on really well and have been having a great time both off and on the court, so it’s nice to be a part of that. It’s such a change from what we usually do, and for me, I’m just really happy to represent Great Britain and have the opportunity to do so, especially in such a beautiful place like Perth.”

The British team suffered a late withdrawal with Jack Draper, who, while continuing his recovery from injury, has already confirmed that he will miss the entire Australian swing, including the Australian Open. In his place, Billy Harris will take on the responsibility of replacing world No. 10 Draper in the men’s singles.

Draper’s absence leaves Raducanu as the leader of the team, and possibly with an even greater responsibility to win her singles matches if Great Britain want to advance to the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old, currently world No. 29, arrives with confidence after a strong end to the 2025 season and a significant rise in the rankings following a year built on consistency.

“For me, it’s just about stacking good days. I’ve been putting in some good practices, and even if each practice isn’t as perfect as you want it to be, the consistency is the most important thing,” she said. “That’s what really helped me last year, and I just hope to carry that on, enjoy my tennis and enjoy the process of what I’m doing.”

“I would say I’m most proud of stacking good days consistently, especially over the last year,” the former world No. 10 added. “Physically, I’ve improved as well. I became fitter, so I was able to play more matches and more tournaments on the road, which gives you more opportunities to pick up points and build momentum.”

The Great Britain–Japan tie will begin this Sunday with a matchup between Shintaro Mochizuki (No. 100) and Billy Harris (No. 128) — two names who are not among the ATP Tour elite, but who have earned the opportunity to compete in this important tournament.

The second match will be a clash of Grand Slam champions — the first we will see this year on either the men’s or women’s tour — and will see Osaka under pressure to deliver a win for Japan, especially after her painful opening loss to Maria Sakkari. Raducanu has already looked ahead to her matches against both players, having faced each of them recently.

“They’re very difficult matches. I played both of them last year, and they were really tough,” she said. “Obviously, Naomi had a great end to the season as well, so I’m expecting tough ones. I just hope to give it everything and do my best.”

Raducanu has previously defeated Osaka in their only meeting so far, which came at the DC Open last August, in the weeks leading up to Osaka’s run to the Canadian Open final and the US Open semifinals. That same week, Raducanu also defeated Sakkari in the quarterfinals of the tournament, extending her unbeaten record against the Greek to 4–0, the most positive head-to-head Raducanu has against any opponent on tour.