"I have no toenails" - Raducanu shares grisly details ahead of debut on clay

British tennis player Emma Raducanu has revealed she has no toenails left as she prepares for her first professional match on clay.

The 19-year-old will make her debut in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers when she takes on Tereza Martincova, as Britain play the Czech Republic in Prague on Friday and Saturday.

However, the British number one admitted she has had another setback after an underwhelming start to 2022 due to blisters and a hip injury.

During the draw ceremony in Prague, she said: "I have no toenails. Just my foot, my shoes, they've just been sliding around a lot.

"I had a small niggle in Miami, but now I have no physical thing."

Britain's captain Anne Keothavong joked: "We're all a little scarred by Emma's toes."

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Raducanu became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in New York last year, securing a spectacular win at Flushing Meadows after what had been an impressive breakout at Wimbledon.

She was ranked 150 in August last year and is now World No.12in the women's rankings. However, she has never played on clay, which is the slowest and most difficult of all surfaces.

"I genuinely believe that clay could be one of my strongest surfaces because of the moving aspect. I do like moving," admitted the US Open champion.

"I feel like I have a lot more potential physically. And I do enjoy sliding. After spending more time on this surface, I'm sure I'll time it better and learn more about the surface."