Briton has been preparing hard for her first professional match on the dirt – in the Billie Jean King Cup team event
Of all of the elementary milestones that Emma Raducanu had not yet notched up before she won the US Open so early into her career, few are as unbelievable as what awaits her as she leads Great Britain into battle against the Czech Republic in Prague on her Billie Jean King Cup debut. On Friday, Raducanu will compete in a professional clay court match for the first time.
As she has prepared for this moment in recent weeks, Raducanu’s unfamiliarity on the surface is reflected on her body: “I have no toenails,” said Raducanu, laughing, after the draw ceremony. “Just my foot, my shoes, they’ve just been sliding around a lot.” Anne Keothavong, the GB captain, joked that the rest of the team is “scarred” by the sight of her nails.