Emma Raducanu wrote her name into the British record books after two impressive results at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The 2021 US Open champion has been in unstoppable form since returning to action at the international women’s team tournament in Malaga last week, winning all three of her matches.
Raducanu is enjoying a strong end to 2024 at the Billie Jean King Cup[/caption]
Following earlier victories over Jule Niemeier from Germany and Canada’s Rebecca Marino, Raducanu then beat Slovakian Viktoria Hruncakova 6-4 6-4 in the competition’s semi-finals.
The result had given British no.1 Katie Boulter the chance to seal her country’s place in Wednesday’s final with a win over Slovakia’s top seed Rebecca Sramkova.
However, Boulter ultimately fell to a 2-6 6-4 6-4 defeat, meaning that the best-of-three tie will go to a deciding doubles match, with GBs Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls taking on Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova.
Should Britain progress, it will see them reach the final of the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time since 1981, where they would face Italy.
And while Raducanu will be keen to help her nation to a first ever title in the team event, she has already made history of her own.
Her victory over Hruncakova means that she now boasts the joint-highest winning percentage of any British player in singles history at the Billie Jean Cup, or Fed Cup as it was called when it began in 1961.
The 22-year-old has played a total of seven matches at the premier women’s international tournament, winning six to give her a win rate of 85.7 per cent.
Raducanu is matched only by former British no.1 Annabel Croft, who held an identical record when competing in the 1980s.
Not only has the Grand Slam champion’s recent form allowed her to overtake her compatriots in the record books, she has also enjoyed a flawless year in the Billie Jean Cup.
As well as winning each of her matches in the last week without dropping a set, Raducanu previously triumphed over France’s Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry in the qualifying rounds in April.
And despite each of the victories in the tournament’s Finals stages coming against lower ranked opponents, the Brit was nonetheless buoyed by her latest performance against Hrunkacova.
After the match, she said: “Every match is extremely challenging and I think as the tournament progresses it becomes more and more challenging,”
“I think today was a really tough battle because my opponent is a huge ball striker and despite her ranking she plays well above that, especially on these courts, it really suits her.
“I am really pleased with how I composed myself and served it out in both sets.”
Raducanu’s recent results are made all the more encouraging by the fact that they have come off the back of her latest injury setback.
Prior to this round of the Billie Jean King Cup, the world no.58 had not played since straining ligaments in her foot at the Korea Open in September, having enjoyed a resurgent year after an injury-ravaged 2023.
Raducanu joins Boulter, Harriet Dart, Watson and Nicholls in the Great Britain team targeting spot in the competition’s final[/caption]
In an interview with the WTA, Raducanu claimed she was pleased with her progress, saying: “My assessment is, 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 name in the draw.
“I take pride in that, and I’m looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year.”
