Emma Raducanu’s long-awaited injury return confirmed for this week

Emma Raducanu has been backed to play a starring domiciled for Great Britain connected her return from wounded astatine the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

The erstwhile US Open champion celebrated her 22nd day successful Malaga connected Wednesday arsenic she prepared for Britain’s opening lucifer against Germany connected Friday.

Raducanu has not played a lucifer since spraining ligaments successful her ft during the Korea Open successful September but has recovered sufficiently to return her spot successful Anne Keothavong’s team.

Raducanu led Britain to triumph complete France successful the qualifiers successful April and will again squad up pinch Katie Boulter successful what tourney head Conchita Martinez believes could beryllium a winning combination.

“We’ve seen that she tin play astonishing tennis,” said the erstwhile Wimbledon champion of Raducanu. “She’s 1 of the champion tennis players retired location pinch awesome results. It’s awesome that Great Britain tin count connected her. She’s played earlier and she’s passionate for her state and I deliberation it’s going to beryllium great. I emotion that she’s coming and I can’t hold to spot her play.

“Katie has been playing awesome tennis successful the past 2 tournaments. I was location successful Asia and I saw her play. She’s besides very passionate to play for her country. I deliberation they tin do great. I deliberation it’s going to beryllium an unfastened event. We person immoderate awesome players but there’s going to beryllium awesome competition.”

The arena offers Raducanu the chance to decorativeness what has been a reasonably successful play connected a high.

She has posted immoderate beardown results, notably connected the British grass, and had stayed mostly wounded free until this latest setback but questions stay astir her scheduling and beingness resilience.

Britain will spell into the necktie against Germany, who are led by 84th-ranked Laura Siegemund, arsenic favourites, pinch Boulter looking to proceed her bully shape aft reaching the last of the Hong Kong Open successful her past tournament.

Victory would nonstop Britain – who besides person Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and doubles master Olivia Nicholls successful their squad – done to a quarter-final against defending champions Canada connected Sunday.

The tourney originates connected Wednesday pinch a necktie betwixt hosts Spain and Poland, led by Iga Swiatek, the highest-ranked subordinate to person made the trip.

For the first time, the BJK Cup is being held astatine the aforesaid venue arsenic its antheral equivalent, the Davis Cup, having been moved from its original big Seville, and the events will overlap for 2 days early adjacent week.

There is nary uncertainty astir the hottest summons successful town, pinch location leader Rafael Nadal playing the last tourney of his illustrious career, but Martinez is not concerned that will overshadow the women’s event.

“They are 2 different events and we’re going to person our fans,” she said. “This is going to beryllium awesome to spot besides the ambiance wherever group from Billie Jean King Cup aliases Davis Cup tin move astir into different courts and spot awesome tennis.

“Of course, for Spain it’s going to beryllium massive, but I don’t deliberation it’s going to overshadow it, successful truth I deliberation it’s going to beryllium adjuvant for Billie Jean King Cup.”

Martinez is hoping to person clip successful amongst her duties to spot Nadal’s farewell, which could travel arsenic early arsenic adjacent Tuesday, erstwhile Spain return connected the Netherlands.

And she believes this twelvemonth could beryllium a forerunner for a imperishable associated arena successful the future, saying: “I cognize Billie Jean is keen to spot that and I deliberation it’s very exciting.

“We person a batch of mixed events connected the circuit during the year. I cognize the women and men that are playing Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup are looking guardant to being together arsenic a team.

“It’s moving that way. I’m not judge erstwhile it’s going to hap but this twelvemonth it’s going to beryllium a bully opportunity to spot really this is going to beryllium successful the future.”