"We may be underdogs, but I know the fighting spirit we have, we're here to get to Finals"- Emma Raducanu ahead of Britain's BJK Cup tie

Emma Raducanu will make her Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup debut on Friday when Great Britain takes on six-time champions Czech Republic in a qualifying tie in Prague.

The British team includes the likes of Raducanu, Katie Swan and Harriet Dart, while Marie Bouzkova and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova headline the Czech line-up.

Raducanu was expected to make her BJK Cup debut in 2020, but didn't get a chance to take the court against Slovakia. As the highest-ranked British player this time around, the 19-year-old is slated to square off against Tereza Martincova in the second singles rubber.

With some of the biggest names such as Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Krejcikova absent from the Czech team, Great Britain will fancy their chances of springing an upset. In an interview ahead of the tie, Emma Raducanu said she expects the young British team to put up a hell of a fight.

"We’re here to get through to the Finals and we’re all prepared to fight hard and give our absolute best,” said Raducanu. “We may be the underdogs, but I know the fighting spirit we have and anything can happen."

The US Open champion, who is set to appear in her first professional claycourt match, admitted that competing at the BJK Cup would be unlike anything she has experienced on the tour.

"This is definitely a different experience and environment to what I am used to," the teenager continued. "Being in a team is very rare in an individual sport, so it is very nice to play in a team. The atmosphere we have got going off the court is amazing."

Emma Raducanu also spoke highly of the camaraderie within the team and expressed her faith in her side's potential.

"Every single one of us – players and support staff – has really been putting it in and doing their best. I feel like we are gelling very well off the court and, no matter what the result is this weekend, we have all done our absolute best to prepare to the maximum," the teenager added.

I’m sure Emma Raducanu will embrace her position and lead the team by example: Captain Anne Keothavong

Emma Raducanu was last seen in action at the 2022 Miami Open

Anne Keothavong, the captain of the British BJK Cup team, feels there has been a change of guard in British tennis following Emma Raducanu's unprecedented triumph at the 2021 US Open. She hopes to see the teenager "embrace" her position as the leader of the national team and set an example.

“A lot has happened over the past year and Emma’s success has been highlighted," Keothavong said. "We’ve seen what she’s been able to achieve in such a short space of time. We’re going into the unknown a little bit and there has been something of a changing of the guard. I’m sure Emma will embrace her position, lead the team by example and really grow into that role in the years to come.”