Emma Raducanu celebrates birthday stuck in a room amid Malaga floods; thanks BJK Cup team for making it “special” despite tough circumstances

Emma Raducanu celebrated her 22nd birthday in Malaga, Spain, where she is preparing with Team Great Britain for the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup tie against Germany. Despite recent severe weather and extensive flooding in the region, Raducanu shared moments from her special day, expressing gratitude to her team for their efforts in making her birthday memorable.

Malaga, the site of this year’s Billie Jean King Cup, has been grappling with severe thunderstorms and torrential rain, which have affected many coastal areas of Spain. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, with nearly 3,000 people displaced from Malaga alone. The flooding comes just weeks after a similar storm impacted the nearby Balearic Islands, including parts of Mallorca, where places like the Rafa Nadal Academy were affected.

Raducanu, who turned 22 on Wednesday, November 13, posted photos capturing moments from her birthday celebration and reflected on her past experiences on the court. “Thank you for all the birthday wishes,” she wrote. “I am so grateful for all my friends too (who couldn’t all add here) for pouring extra love into today and being there through all. Big s/o to my team for making it a special day out here.”

In addition to sharing photos, Raducanu posted a clip from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which showed her opening a birthday gift from her team. The present turned out to be a framed group photo, a thoughtful gesture that she appreciated despite the challenging weather. “Thanks for making my FC birthday as good as it can be inside in this weather,” she captioned.

The British star received birthday wishes from various friends and peers, including Spanish player Paula Badosa, who shared a heartfelt message on Instagram. The former World No. 2 posted a photo of herself and Raducanu embracing at the net following a recent match at the Citi Open. “Happy bday Emmita,” Badosa wrote.

Raducanu has been recovering since her recent quarterfinal match at the Korea Open, where she had to retire due to a left foot ligament sprain. This injury kept her out of the remainder of the Asian hard-court season, but she is now set to return to competitive action at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. In a recent interview, Raducanu expressed her excitement about the upcoming event, saying that a strong performance would hold special significance for her.

Raducanu joins teammates Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, and Olivia Nicholls in Great Britain’s squad. They are scheduled to face Germany at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena on Friday, November 15, with the winner advancing to face defending champions Canada in the quarterfinals.