"Truly difficult decision" - Emma Raducanu explains exactly why she chose Korea Open instead of representing Great Britain at Billie Jean King Cup

British player Emma Raducanu made her feelings clear about her decision to play the Korea Open instead of representing her nation at the Billie Jean King Cup finals. The 2021 US Open winner was pivotal to Great Britain's semifinal run last year, where Slovakia trumped her side.

However, for the upcoming BJK Cup event, Raducanu withdrew her name from Great Britain's team, thereby leaving big shoes to fill for her side. Due to this decision, the 22-year-old faced immense criticism, too.

Raducanu, who is currently competing in the Korea Open, explained her recent decision to withdraw from the BJK Cup. The British player stated that she wanted to spend more time in practice with her new coach, Francisco Roig, before the start of the Asian swing, thereby prioritizing the Korea Open. She said (via Tennis Korea):

"It was a truly difficult decision. I love the BJK Cup so much, and I gave it my all last year, even under difficult circumstances (a draw against the British team). However, the Korea Open was a crucial time for me to get used to my new coach, Francis, and even though it was the end of the season, I felt it was more important to work with an experienced coach ahead of the Asian swing. I wanted to prioritize working with him and further developing myself."

Notably, Emma Raducanu started her Korea Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jaqueline Cristian. She is scheduled to face Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the tournament.

Emma Raducanu shared her emotions after winning her opening game of the Korea Open 2025

Emma Raducanu (Image via: Getty)

Emma Raducanu expressed her emotions after winning the opening game of her Korea Open campaign. Speaking in an interview, the British player expressed her happiness to be on the winning side.

Additionally, she also revealed that the match wasn't easy for her, and pulling off a victory was a relief. She said (via BBC):

"I'm super happy to have won. It hasn't been easy. I feel like I've played this match the last three days. To have pulled through after waiting, I'm super pleased at how I came through."

Before the Korea Open, Emma Raducanu had a brief run at the US Open, where she was eliminated in the third round of the tournament by Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh player dominated the match and defeated Raducanu 6-1, 6-2.