The tennis tour is switching gears, heading to Asia for a brand-new swing. The excitement keeps growing as top players and fans alike look forward to the final months of the 2025 season. Since the US Open wrapped up, everyone has been waiting to see their favorites back on the courts and fighting for glory. Emma Raducanu and Caty McNally, both hungry for their next title and boosted rankings, are more eager than ever. But that moment will have to wait. Seoul faces an unexpected rain delay!

On Tuesday, British No.1 Emma Raducanu was set to clash with Jaqueline Cristian at the Korean Open. Caty McNally, meanwhile, was deep into the third set of her R32 match against Diana Shnaider. The rain wouldn’t let up. As Jose Morgado reported on X, “Play cancelled for the day in Seoul.” The courts fell silent as wet weather rolled in.

Rain now rules the Seoul WTA 500. Organizers called off all evening play with AccuWeather predicting a 73 percent chance of rain at 8pm and 49 percent at 9pm. Matches for Tuesday—including Diana Shnaider vs. Caty McNally (the pair split the first two sets, 2-6, 6-2), Anastasia Zakharova vs. Sorana Cirstea, Jaqueline Cristian vs. Emma Raducanu, Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Dayeon Back, and Suzan Lamens vs. Tatjana Maria—will all be moved to tomorrow.

The rain may have reshuffled the deck, but the updated Korea Open schedule still promises plenty of action as play moves to Wednesday. Centre Court opens at 12:00 PM with Anastasia Zakharova facing Sorana Cirstea, followed by the highly anticipated clash between Jaqueline Cristian and Emma Raducanu, set for not before 2:00 PM. After that, Beatriz Haddad Maia takes on local wildcard Dayeon Back, and the evening brings Maya Joint vs Sofia Kenin, capped off with Clara Tauson battling Eva Lys under the lights.

Meanwhile, the Grandstand also starts at noon, featuring Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova against Anna Blinkova and Makoto Ninomiya in doubles. After 1:30 PM, Diana Shnaider and Caty McNally will resume their singles duel, which was locked at one set apiece before rain halted play. Next up, Suzan Lamens squares off with Tatjana Maria, followed by doubles action as Dayeon Back and Eunhye Lee meet Ulrikke Eikeri and Qianhui Tang. Plenty of tennis awaits—if only the weather cooperates.

Hope flickered when the courts started to dry, just an hour, officials guessed, until Shnaider vs McNally (locked at 1-1 in sets) and Raducanu vs Cristian could go ahead. But just as play seemed imminent, the rain struck again. Another hour was wiped out, and the clock ticked toward 8pm with organisers set to make a final call soon. Time is tight, and Raducanu’s debut may get pushed yet again.

Meanwhile, over in Shenzhen, GB’s Billie Jean King Cup campaign waits. Boulter and Kartal stand ready to fly the flag, while Emma chose Seoul over representing Britain, sparking debate.

Emma Raducanu chooses to compete at Seoul over the BJK Cup

Raducanu shook things up on September 5. Instead of representing Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, she pulled out and grabbed a late wildcard for the Korea Open in Seoul. Her choice? Focus fully on the WTA Tour and her fresh partnership with Francisco Roig, who joined her coaching team in Cincinnati last month. For Raducanu, the bet is clear—long-term development over national duty.

Not everyone loved the call. TV presenter Matt Roberts summed it up on air: “Raducanu’s was the one that was a real shame to me, I must say. I don’t want to be harsher on Raducanu than I am on other players. You know, I want to see all the players play Billie Jean King if possible.” His words hit the same note many British fans felt—disappointment. For them, her absence stings, especially with Britain already thin on depth.

The Lawn Tennis Association wasn’t thrilled either. Though they stressed they still expect to compete hard in Shenzhen, Raducanu’s passing on a semi-final stage, where she once shone, is a big blow to GB’s chances. Skipping the event has fueled plenty of debate about her timing and priorities, testing the patience of fans and federation alike.

Now the spotlight shifts to Seoul. Rain washed away Emma Raducanu’s opener against Jaqueline Cristian, pushing her long-awaited debut at least to Wednesday. The delay adds suspense to a campaign already under the microscope. Can her choice to chase tour points deliver a deep run, or even a trophy? That’s the big question. Let us know what you think in the comments below!