Emma Raducanu will return to clay in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers for Great Britain, and she's excited about the challenge.
Raducanu has played little on clay so far in her career. Her only true experience came in 2022 when she played at a couple of events. She didn't play much on it last year, as she ended her season prematurely by undergoing triple surgery after the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
That's the only clay event she played last year, but now she's back on the surface to represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup. It's an exciting challenge for Raducanu to play in France in a hostile environment on a surface that doesn't come naturally to the Brits.
"I’m enjoying the challenge of it. And I think it’s great that we can be in this position, playing the French who are so dominant. And coming on clay, I definitely think we’re the underdogs. But we have a lot of game and we’re ready to play this weekend."
Raducanu had some decent moments on clay in her short time on the surface, but it's obviously not a surface that comes really naturally to her. As with anything, the more she plays on it, the more comfortable she feels on the dirt, and she thinks that she'll grow into a really good clay player in the future.
"I think in the future, it’s going to be a surface that will actually really suit me, I think, maybe I’m a little bit away from that right now, but I’m enjoying it."
Having a positive attitude is half the struggle when it comes to clay, so it's good to see Raducanu embracing its messiness. She will try to score some wins this weekend, in what will be a really difficult tie for her country against France. Her first match is against Caroline Garcia.
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