Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter look at BJK Cup positives after final bid ends
Britain fell just short of a first final appearance in the competition since 1981.
Emma Raducanu will start preparations for 2025 while Katie Boulter takes a well-earned rest after Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup loss to Slovakia brought their seasons to a close.
They will also need to get over the disappointment of seeing Britain’s hopes of a first final appearance since 1981 snatched away from a winning position.
Raducanu could not have done any more, winning all three of her matches in Malaga in straight sets, but Boulter was unable to follow suit despite taking a one-set lead over Rebecca Sramkova in the semi-finals, and Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls lost the deciding doubles convincingly.
Raducanu was returning from another injury lay-off having sprained ligaments in her foot two months ago and is itching to get to work to ensure she is in the best possible shape for the new season.
This has by no means been a disappointing year for the 22-year-old, who has shown encouraging consistency when she has been on court, but questions remain about her scheduling and physical resilience.
She confirmed she is in talks with fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura and a permanent hiring in that area would certainly be a big step in the right direction.
“I think I had some good performances on the court this week,” said the former US Open champion.
“I played three matches, which is great for me. I haven’t played in a while so I think being able to score a point and get on the board was helpful.
“I think the positives to take are, physically, I held up pretty well. It didn’t take me too long to step back into that match sharpness.”
The disappointment for Boulter was clear after coming so close to taking Britain through to the final but she can look back with a lot of pride at her achievements in 2024.
She won two WTA Tour titles, including a first at 500 level in San Diego, and is finishing the year ranked among the world’s top 25.
“Obviously it’s going to be really important for me to take a moment for myself, remember what I’ve actually done this year,” said the 28-year-old.
“I’ve got two titles behind me. I’m at a career-high ranking. This week has also been great for me. I have had some really good wins. I really want to use that next year, and I really feel like I can push on.
“But it’s going to be extremely important for me to take a moment right now and have a few days to myself and pick myself back up. It’s a long season. I’m a little emotionally tired, but I have given everything I possibly could for this country, and I’m proud of that. That’s all I can ask of myself.”
Another format change to the Billie Jean King Cup next year will see teams needing to finish top of one of seven three-team groups in April to book their spot in a final eight along with the yet-to-be-determined hosts.
While establishing a strong doubles pair would certainly help Britain’s cause, they have shown they have singles players capable of beating most teams, while Harriet Dart and Sonay Kartal can offer competition to Boulter and Raducanu.
“We’ve got a fantastic team and we do need to find a way to pick ourselves up; maintain perspective, most of all,” said captain Anne Keothavong.
“I can take confidence from the fact that we’ve got incredible players in the UK. We’ve shown with our best players what’s possible. We came close.
“It wasn’t to be on this occasion but that’s not to say, whether it’s next year or the year after, we’re going to have chances in this competition. I do really believe that.”
