Emma Raducanu made her return to competitive tennis after a long-standing foot injury, but could not prevent Great Britain from being eliminated from the United Cup following a group-stage defeat to Greece.

The 23-year-old, who missed Great Britain’s opening tie against Japan due to “light bone bruising” on her right foot, showed flashes of her top-level talent despite a 6-3 3-6 6-1 loss to Maria Sakkari.

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Raducanu’s Return: Encouraging Signs Despite Defeat

Raducanu, ranked world number 29, had not played since early October. On her return, she began strongly, breaking Sakkari’s serve in the first game and moving freely across the court. Her forehand and baseline strokes were crisp, and she demonstrated fighting spirit by leveling the match in the second set.

“Being able to produce that, having not played, is just giving me confidence for what I can do when I practice more,” Raducanu said.
“I know now I just need to get my head down and keep working.”

However, the British number one showed some rustiness and fatigue, ultimately losing in three sets as Sakkari rattled off the final five games in the decider.

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Great Britain Miss Out on Quarter-Finals

Raducanu’s defeat followed Billy Harris’ narrow loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). Harris, ranked 127th, pushed the two-time Grand Slam finalist to the limit, highlighting the competitiveness of the British team despite the losses.

Mixed doubles pairing Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski secured a consolation win for Great Britain, defeating Despina Papamichail and Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-2 3-6 10-4, but the victories were not enough to advance from Group E.

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Raducanu’s Injury Concerns and Upcoming Schedule

The foot injury has renewed concerns about Raducanu’s physical resilience, though her movement on court suggested she is recovering well. The 2021 US Open champion is scheduled to compete in a WTA event in Hobart next week, ahead of the Australian Open starting 18 January, where she is expected to be seeded.

Raducanu’s team is focused on gradually building her match fitness while managing the risk of re-injury, aiming for a strong start to the 2026 season.

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Other United Cup Highlights

• Coco Gauff, world number four and defending champion, suffered a singles defeat to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-0, but helped the US reach the quarter-finals in mixed doubles.
• In Group F, Alexander Zverev lost 6-3 6-4 to former top-10 player Hubert Hurkacz, giving Poland an early lead.
• Iga Swiatek secured victory for Poland, coming back from a set down to defeat Eva Lys 3-6 6-3 6-4.

These results illustrate the unpredictable and competitive nature of the United Cup 2026, where injuries and comeback players like Raducanu can have a significant impact on team performance.