Katie Boulter has been named to lead Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China, while Emma Raducanu's continued absence from competitive tennis is raising real alarm bells ahead of the US Open.
Raducanu has not competed since reaching the final at Queen's on June 14, a run that represented her best-ever grass-court performance. She was subsequently forced to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a stress fracture in her lower right leg, and six weeks without match play has now cost her a place in GB's BJK Cup squad. With the US Open beginning August 30, her fitness timeline is increasingly tight.
Captain Anne Keothavong confirmed a four-player group featuring Boulter, Harriet Dart, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage. Boulter replaces Katie Swan from the squad that upset Australia in Melbourne back in April, where 17-year-old Stojsavljevic delivered a headline-grabbing singles win over world number 56 Talia Gibson. Keothavong praised both Boulter's big-stage experience and the courage her team showed in qualifying for their fourth finals in five years.
GB open their campaign on Tuesday September 22 against a formidable Czech Republic side that includes Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and runner-up Karolina Muchova. Elsewhere in the draw, world number two Elena Rybakina leads Kazakhstan against Spain, while Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen headlines host nation China against defending champions Italy, who boast Olympic doubles gold medallists Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani. Ukraine and Belgium round out the quarter-final bracket.
A fifth squad member can still be added closer to the tournament, leaving a slim window for Raducanu to force her way back. TennisDraw users tracking the GB side will want to factor in squad depth when submitting their Shenzhen bracket predictions.
