Emma Raducanu will sit out Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup final qualifying tie against France next month.
Captain Anne Keothavong named the same team that reached the semifinals in September and said former US Open champion Raducanu was “unavailable” for the tie in Coventry on April 14-15.
Raducanu said after his opening win at Indian Wells that he didn’t even know when the draw was, a comment that didn’t seem to sit well with Keothavong.
The former British number one responded to a report of the comment with a thinking face emoji on social media. He later posted separately, apparently in reference to that: “My communication skills are generally good in case anyone was wondering.”
Emma Raducanu was recently defeated by Iga Swiatek at the BNP Paribas Open
Explaining his decision to keep the faith with Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Katie Boulter, Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls, Keothavong said: “I’m pleased to name the same team we had four months ago in Glasgow, where we hit it off so well, and the spirit of equipment was electric.
“There were some memorable performances throughout the week that helped us reach the semi-finals.
“Harriet showed us what she is capable of by beating (Paula) Badosa and (Ajla) Tomljanovic.
“We saw Alicia and Olivia make their Cup debut, where they brought so much energy to the court and showed just how important doubles is. Katie and Heather have a proven track record in this competition and are more excited than ever to be a part of this team. .
“While Emma is unavailable for this tie, we look forward to seeing her back on the team in the near future.”
Raducanu, who missed the November finals in Glasgow due to a wrist injury, reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open this week before losing to world number one Iga Swiatek.
