Emma Raducanu has revealed that she is in talks about hiring the renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura as she seeks to address the injury issues that have plagued her career. Raducanu is set to make her return to competitive play this week at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, provided she is selected by Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong. This comes after a nearly two-month absence due to a foot injury sustained at the Korea Open in September.

Having undergone surgeries on her wrists and ankle last year, Raducanu's season has once again been marred by physical setbacks. Nakamura, a prominent figure in the tennis world, has previously worked with stars like Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, and Kei Nishikori, and could prove to be a valuable asset in helping Raducanu build the resilience needed to endure the demands of the tour.

"My goal for next year is to stay on the court longer," Raducanu stated. "This year, I managed to reach the top 60 in the world, but I played in fewer than 15 events. If I can stay healthy and compete, I believe I can achieve even greater heights. My athleticism is a strength, but it's far from reaching its full potential. I'm eager to explore that further and commit to doing so."

Seven months ago, Raducanu showcased some of the best tennis of her career, leading Great Britain to a notable victory over France on indoor clay courts. Her wins against Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry were complemented by Katie Boulter's first clay-court victory, defeating Clara Burel in straight sets.

Despite their success on clay, Great Britain's participation in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on indoor hard courts was a thrilling prospect. However, Raducanu has only competed in three tournaments since Wimbledon in July, having also skipped most of the US hard-court season before her first-round exit at the US Open. She revealed that she did not play for four or five weeks after suffering the foot injury on September 21 in Seoul.

After spending time in China with her grandmother, Raducanu has gradually increased her training intensity over the past few weeks. "While it's the end of the season for many players, I feel like I'm just starting to get things moving, training hard, and already preparing for next year," she said. "I don't plan on taking any more time off. I've already had quite a bit due to my injury."

The next two weeks will see the top team competitions, the women's Billie Jean King Cup and men's Davis Cup, held in the same city for the first time in history. Originally scheduled to be held in Sevilla, the women's event was relocated to Málaga.

Following the devastating floods in Valencia, Málaga experienced heavy rainfall, leading to the ITF rescheduling the opening match between Spain and Poland from Wednesday evening to Saturday morning. The decision was validated as many roads in Málaga were temporarily flooded overnight, preventing players from training on site.

For the British team, this meant spending the day at their hotel, working out and celebrating Raducanu's 22nd birthday. "We did some yoga and core sessions, and it was good to have a forced break and lots of team bonding, along with birthday celebrations and a bit of chocolate cake," said Heather Watson. "However, it was more concerning for the country dealing with the recent tough conditions."

On a cool, dry Thursday, normality resumed, and the competition kicked off with Japan facing Romania in the opening tie. The British team, consisting of Boulter, Raducanu, Harriet Dart, Watson, and Olivia Nicholls, is expected to be the favorites in their round of 16 tie against Germany. Boulter and Raducanu are both ranked higher than Germany's top player, Laura Siegemund (No. 84). The winners of this tie will face Canada, the defending champions, on Sunday.

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