Emma Raducanu could inspire £10million bid from UK to host Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu could inspire a £10 million bid from the Lawn Tennis Association to host the Billie Jean King Cup.

According to The Times, the LTA are hoping to build on Raducanu’s unexpected success at the US Open by bringing the prestigious team tournament to the UK.

Known as the Fed Cup until 2020, the Billie Jean King Cup is the largest annual female sports competition in the world, with approximately 100 nations competing.

The UK would host the latter stages of the event, which comprises 12 nations battling it out in a round-robin group stage, followed by the semi-finals and final. The tournament is scheduled for November 8th to 13th.

The Times has reported that the LTA would see it as “a significant coup” to host the Billie Jean King Cup while Raducanu’s popularity is so high.

The 19-year-old earned an unexpected victory at the US Open in September, becoming the first ever qualifier, male or female, to earn a Grand Slam title.

She won 10 games in a row without dropping a set, and became the first female British tennis player to claim a major since Virginia Wade in 1977.

Raducanu’s achievement captured the attention of the nation and she was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first female winner since 2006.

Hosting the Billie Jean King Cup would be at a significant cost to the LTA, who would have to cover the prize-money pot of at least £9 million and other associated staging costs.

But it would allow Britain to automatically qualify for the latter stages of the competition, which the country has not featured in since 1993.

It would also give fans the opportunity to watch more top-level tennis in Britain outside of the grass-court season.

Switzerland are the only nation to have booked their place in the