Emma Raducanu returned to the WTA Tour this season after a lengthy injury, and the Briton credited herself for an achievement she called "pretty unheard of."
Raducanu's appearance at the ongoing Billie Jean King Cup Finals is her first since the Korea Open quarterfinal against Daria Kasatkina in September. She had to retire from that match after 31 minutes with an injury.
The 22-year-old revealed afterward that she had sprained ligaments in her foot. That injury ruled her out of the rest of the Asian swing and also cast doubt on whether she would be fit for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
However, Raducanu worked hard and managed to be ready in time for the team event. Team Great Britain played Germany in the opening round on Friday in Malaga.
Raducanu produced a solid performance to overcome Jule Niemeier in straight sets. Katie Boulter's triumph against Laura Siegemund sealed Team Great Britain's place in the quarterfinal and set up a meeting with the defending champion Canada.
The 2021 US Open champion played well again, beating Rebecca Marino comfortably at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Sunday. Katie Boulter managed an even more impressive win against Leylah Fernandez to confirm a semifinal tie against Slovakia.
Raducanu keeps finding her best tennis at the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024. In April's qualifiers, she became inspired against France away from home on clay to lead Team Great Britain to a massive upset win.
Other notable achievements for Raducanu this year include reaching the Nottingham Open semifinal and the Citi Open quarterfinals. She lost close matches at those tournaments against Boulter and Paula Badosa, who told Iga Swiatek she ruined her birthday at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Raducanu is currently ranked No. 58. In a press conference after beating Marino, she assessed the 2024 season. The 22-year-old credited herself with finishing in the Top 60 despite playing few tournaments due to injury problems, most notably during the Asian swing.
"Yeah, I think I started the year off pretty well for the first half, you know up to Wimbledon. Then I struggled a little bit more with my body I think physically. Wasn't able to play the full calendar and stay on court as much as I would have liked."
"But my assessment is, you, I think sometimes I need reminding, I'm top 60 in the world and I have played less than 15 events, which is pretty unheard of, in a way."
"I have to pat myself on the back for that. I know I'm a dangerous player. I know no one wants to pull my names in the draw. I take pride in that, and I'm looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year."
The Briton's attempts to stay on the court longer next year involve an effort to hire Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova's former fitness coach, Yutaka Nakamura. A deal has not been agreed to hire him yet, but Raducanu is hopeful he will join her team for the 2025 season.
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