Rain delays Emma Raducanu’s return at the Korea Open

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Emma Raducanu’s first match since the US Open, against Jaqueline Cristian at the Korea Open, has been postponed because of rain.

Raducanu pulled out of the Billie Jean King Cup to prioritise the WTA tour and continue her work with new coach Francisco Roig, taking up the opportunity of a wildcard in Seoul.

But heavy rain fell on the Korean capital, causing her opening match against Cristian to be postponed until Wednesday, with an approximate start time of 6am in the UK.

Raducanu is on the hard side of the draw, with US Open quarter-finalist Barbora Krejcikova waiting in the second round and Iga Swiatek in the same quarter.

Play has been postponed for the day

The rain has not relented, and tournament organisers have decided to pack up for the day.

Raducanu will play Cristian tomorrow, no earlier than 6am UK time.

The rain continues to fall

The weather looked to be relenting before the heavens opened. We are in for another lengthy delay with no start time imminent. If conditions continue to be this grim, we might be in danger of no more play today.

That estimated start time may be optimistic

There is more rain forecast in Seoul, where it is currently 7.40pm local time. Even if the match starts, they may not be on for long.

The latest estimated start time

The current view is a 11.45am start at the earliest.

Raducanu’s Billie Jean King Cup call

Our women’s sport reporter Sonia Twigg writes that Raducanu was right to prioritise her world ranking and head to Korea.

The Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup are an important part of the tennis calendar, and allow players a rare opportunity to enjoy a team environment so different from the individual nature of the professional tour.

To anyone who was in Málaga for the last Billie Jean King Cup finals, it was clear how much the players thrived in the collective team atmosphere.

But tennis is above all an individual sport. Players are ranked and judged on their solo performances.

Rain is falling in Seoul

The few spectators visible have their umbrellas up and rain is pelting down on the hard court.

No sign of Raduncau or Cristian

There is plenty of milling around going on court-side, but neither player has emerged just yet. Instead, the airtime is filled by US Open highlights.

The countdown continues

To call the crowd sparse in Korea would be an understatement. Both players will be greeted by a wall of grey seats, unless spectators emerge sharpish. Flushing Meadows it ain’t.

Raducanu will be up shortly

Barbora Krejcikova has won 6-1, 6-2 against Tatiana Prozorova on centre court.

In the absence of Raducanu

Katie Boulter will be the top-ranked member of GB’s team at the Billie Jean King Cup.

“Anything is possible” 😁🇬🇧@katiecboulter can’t wait to get going at the @BJKCup Finals pic.twitter.com/sLXaREqITk

— LTA (@the_LTA) September 16, 2025

Raducanu prioritises world ranking over Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu has skipped the Billie Jean King Cup to improve her world ranking and she faces Jaqueline Cristian in the first round of the Korean Open this morning.

Raducanu is seeded eighth for the tournament in Seoul as she returns to the court for the first time since a bruising third-round US Open exit to Elena Rybakina.

The Briton has produced some encouraging performances during the hard-court season, notably when pushing Aryna Sabalenka all the way at the Cincinnati Open.

However, Raducanu still has to prove herself more capable of beating the game’s elite players on a consistent basis if she is to scale the heights of her 2021 US Open triumph.

In Seoul, Raducanu could play former Wimbledon champion and recent US Open quarter-finalist Barbora Krejcikova in the second round. Top seed and World No 2 Iga Swiatek is also in her quarter of the draw.

Raducanu’s decision to play in Korea ruled her out of playing for Great Britain’s team against Japan in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.

A spokesperson for the LTA told the BBC: “Of course, we are disappointed. However, we believe we have a great team and we’re looking forward to competing in Shenzhen.”

However, Raducanu’s former coach Mark Petchey has defended that decision.

“It’s very easy to come down on the side that you should want to represent your country,” Petchey said.

“To be fair to Emma, when you look back at what she achieved on the clay against France, she proved that when she’s put up against it, she can A, produce the goods and B does want to play.

“I don’t think you can blame Emma for a schedule that makes zero sense.”

Play will begin following the conclusion of Barbora Krejcikova v Tatiana Prozorova beforehand on the venue’s centre court.