Brace for a slide: Emma Raducanu's clay court adventure beckons fans at Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu will make her first appearance on clay for a long time as well as Billie Jean King Cup and despite her admission that it is not her favourite surface, the challenge remains one she is relishing.

Raducanu will be part of Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup team and plays for the first time since her loss to Jelena Ostapenko at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart which saw surgery brought up.

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The former US Open champion is not adept on the surface living in a country associated with grass courts and winning her Grand Slam on outdoor hard. But unlike some who discern away from the challenge, it is one she is looking forward to as they face Caroline Garcia's France.

“It was my first match on clay in such a long time, like four years, so I think I was very apprehensive at the start, not sure how it was going to go, but I got into it, I worked really hard," said Raducanu. "I played Tereza Martincova who’s from Czech, so they play a little bit on clay, so it was a great win for me to start the season. I do love moving on clay, sliding, I find it very fun. It’s interesting, I think it’s different.

Emma Raducanu last played in Billie Jean King Cup back in 2022. A win for Great Britain qualifies them for the Finals.

“It’s not necessarily the surface that I’m most comfortable on or my most preferred surface but it’s something that I enjoy the challenge of.”

It is a different complexion since her last outing in 2022 against Czech Republic. Nowadays Raducanu is the lowest ranked Brit and Katie Boulter has put her injury worries behind her to thrive. All girls she knows well, the thought of playing for her country is a thrill for her. “Just to have your team on the bench, it’s a nice feeling to have them behind you,” added Raducanu.

“You can look up to them whenever you are playing or whenever you feel like you need a bit of oomph, it’s a good environment.

“It’s a super strong team they have. They have an amazing doubles pair, they have a great singles line-up, so they could play anyone they want. They’ve got so many options.”

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Chris Goldsmith

@TheTennisTalker

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She is on the red stuff! Emma Raducanu 🇬🇧 practicing her clay court skills 👏

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