Emma Raducanu of Great Britain withdrew from a marquee United Cup showdown with Naomi Osaka to prioritize recovering from a stubborn foot injury ahead of the Australian Open.
Osaka beat substitute Katie Swan 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Sunday at the national team event in Perth, Australia, but Great Britain topped Japan in men’s singles and mixed doubles matches to secure a 2-1 overall victory.
Great Britain team captain Tim Henman said Raducanu was “very close” to facing Osaka and did not rule her out of the rest of the tournament.
The Brits’ final group matchup at the United Cup, an Australian Open tuneup event, comes against Greece on Monday. Knockout play begins Wednesday and the final is scheduled for next Sunday in Sydney.
The 23-year-old Raducanu is No. 29 in the current WTA rankings. She could be seeded at the season’s first major, which gets underway Jan. 18 in Melbourne.
Raducanu famously rocketed out of the qualifying stage to win the 2021 US Open without dropping a set all tournament. That remains the only career title for Radacanu, who did not advance beyond the third round of a Grand Slam in 2025.
“She struggled with her foot for the end of last year. The improvement that she’s made has been fantastic,” Henman told reporters after Sunday’s Great Britain-Japan match. “She’s been practicing in London, really only doing static drills, to be out on the practice court and moving and playing games. She is very close.”
–Field Level Media
