UNITED CUP

January 6, 2026

Billy Harris

Emma Raducanu

Team Great Britain

Press Conference

Team Greece - 2

Team Great Britain - 0

THE MODERATOR: Great fight from both of you in your matches. Can you give us your thoughts on your performances.

BILLY HARRIS: Yeah, I thought I played a good level match. Obviously no one likes to lose 6 in the third, especially playing for your country. Definitely stings, losing like that.

Yeah, Stefanos played well. The better guy won the tiebreak in the end. Fair play to him. Just gutted to lose basically.

I thought I had a little chance towards the end when I went Love-30 on his serve at 5-6, but he played a couple good points. Yeah, that's tennis.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think he played an incredible match against Stefanos.

In my match, considering the circumstances, doubt whether I was going to play or not today, I'm pretty happy with how I was able to kind of play a match of three sets. Considering I played five, six games in practice, it is a big effort for me.

Really proud of how I kind of put myself out there, despite the scenario and situation. Also playing against Maria, who was playing really, really well. She also has a match under her belt, big win against Naomi.

Yeah, to produce that level just by the circumstances, I have to be proud of even if it's very difficult right now.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Billy, you said you're disappointed. How good is it to feel your level against a player of Stefanos' caliber, maybe feel like you belong at that level?

BILLY HARRIS: Yeah, I mean, I thought I was definitely obviously in the match with the scoreline. I have to take the positives away from the match.

I feel like second match of the year, I'm glad that the level's there against someone like that. Gives me confidence going into the rest of the year.

So yeah, no one likes to lose. I'll take the positives, learn from the match, and hopefully come back stronger against good players again.

Q. Emma, you talked about the circumstances. I saw you just as you were starting pre-season. What have the past five weeks been like? How has the injury progressed?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I started hitting two weeks ago, so it's been a good two and a bit months where I didn't play. I did fitness. When I spoke to you I was doing fitness, started that.

Yeah, it's been difficult to kind of increase the load and add the unpredictability of the tennis. I think today, being able to produce that, having not played, is just giving me confidence to what I can do when I do practice more. I know now I just need to get my head down, keep working.

Yeah, it's also first match of the season. It's been a long break for everyone. I think after my last match in Ningbo, it's been a good three months. Initially you feel a little bit alien on the court, in the first set, just playing points again.

Yeah, I just need to try and recover as best as I can, just keep working.

Q. In the end were you in the UK? Did you go to Barcelona at all? Must have been frustrating when you want to have a great pre-season, not to be able to have that.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think you have to just take it as it comes. I went to Barcelona for two weeks, but wasn't really able to play. Just good a lot of gym where I could, then started static hitting.

I kind of played my first points two days ago in practice. It's been a very fast run path. Today was good exposure. Happy I spent two and a half hours out there and I'm okay right now.

I just need to keep going, yeah. The season is still very, very young. Week one. There's a long way to go.

Q. As you progress in Australia, first matches of the year, how do you think playing these long matches will help you prepare?

BILLY HARRIS: Yeah, I mean, obviously it's great to get it in, get the miles in the legs as early as you can before the Australian Open especially. The time on court, as well. I've had two good matches this week, so it's good preparation going forwards.

Q. Emma, I saw videos of you hitting with a different racquet, a Yonex. What kind of brought that on? What are you looking for in testing other racquets?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I didn't have much time to test, because I wasn't playing for too long.

I was just looking to see if there was anything I can gain or add and hoped that I could have that time to do it, and I did. I practiced those two weeks pretty much with that racquet.

It's great. I just felt like to play a match and to fully trust it, it was too soon. Yeah, I just switched back to my racquet. I know with certain shots, you feel every gram, you feel every kind of millimeter of your own racquet, and you know it like your own hand. I think that's why I went back to it.

In a racquet, I probably was looking for a bit more power, a bit more help and miles per hour on the ball, especially when it gets so heavy like it can in the evenings and with the balls.

I was just trying that out. This one didn't work. Yeah, probably now I'll just stick to this until I have another gap in the season.