Emma Raducanu is eager to kick-on from her heroics for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup and now she has learned who she will face in the opening round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Raducanu produced another dazzling comeback win to help Great Britain qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in stunning fashion with a 3-1 win over France.
Anne Keothavong’s team were big underdogs ahead of the qualifier on clay in Le Portel and had lost to the same opponents in Coventry last year, but entered day two level at 1-1 after Raducanu’s impressive three-set victory over Caroline Garcia on Friday.
Katie Boulter put her day one disappointment behind her to produce an excellent 7-5 6-0 win over world number 44 Clara Burel for a career-best victory on clay.
It opened the door for former US Open champion Raducanu to send Britain through to the Finals later this year in Seville, but she was pushed all the way by Diane Parry in a pulsating contest that lasted two hours and 52 minutes.
Parry won the first set but Raducanu, back in the team for the first time in two years following an injury-hit 2023, fought back to clinch a tremendous 4-6 6-1 7-6 (1) victory that not only sends her country through to the November Finals, but serves notice to her rivals ahead of the clay-court season.
“To be able to put two matches like that back-to-back, three sets and on clay against really tough opponents, it’s just a testament to the work we’ve been doing,” Raducanu told the BBC.
“I knew it would pay off eventually, so I’m very pleased that this weekend it was able to show.
“On Thursday before the tie, we said how tough this would be but honestly I had a good feeling about the confidence of our team.
“We have a very strong team and I am really pleased to have been able to score two points. Hopefully I can kick on from here now.”
The level of Raducanu’s performances in her two wins in France confirmed he current WTA ranking of No 302 is not reflective of her current level of play, as she suggested her tennis in the decisive tie-break against Parry was ‘amazing’.
“The sound in the stadium was pretty incredible,” she added. “It is such an enclosed space everything seems so much louder.
“Luckily I had the practice of playing on Arthur Ashe (US Open’s main stadium), so I wasn’t too concerned about the crowd. That doesn’t really bother me, which is one of my strengths. Then in the breaker, I played amazing, to be honest!
“When I am out there competing, that is when I’m at my most dangerous. It takes a lot out of you to be that into it physically and emotionally, but that’s how it needs to be from now on.”
Raducanu’s decision to play in the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart was questioned by some observers, who have suggested she should play in lower-level events to get wins and ranking points.
Yet her form in the Billie Jean King Cup has to fuel her confidence and now she has learned that she will face three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber in the first round in Germany.
A rematch with Jelena Ostapenko could await in round two, which would be an interesting draw against a player who proved to be Raducanu’s last opponent before she underwent surgery last year.
Ostapenko hammered Raducanu 6-2 6-1 in Stuttgart a year ago, so it would be fascinating to see if the new Emma is more of a match for the world No 10.
A match against world No 1 Iga Swiatek could lie in wait if Raducanu gets through to the third round, but that seems like a distant ambition for a player who has just five match wins on her record this year.
Raducanu will play Kerber in front of her home German crowd on Tuesday, so the experience of overcoming a hostile French audience in recent days should prepare her for what is to come next.