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Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong says the lack of top-20 players at the Billie Jean King Cup is “a tennis problem, not a player problem”.<\/b><\/p>\n
Only three of the world’s top-20 will compete in this week’s qualifying rounds, with Poland’s Iga Swiatek and American trio Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys among those absent.<\/p>\n
World number two Swiatek withdrew last week, saying she needed time to “focus on myself and my training”. <\/p>\n
Britain, meanwhile, are without Emma Raducanu, who has opted to train and “look after her body” after her Miami Open quarter-final run in her seventh event of the year.<\/p>\n
The top teams in each round-robin group will advance to September’s eight-team finals in Shenzhen, China.<\/p>\n
“It’s tough for every nation to put out their best players in each tie,\u201d Keothavong told BBC Sport in The Hague, where Britain are in a group with Germany and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
“The calendar is just makes it so difficult for players, so I’m empathetic as to how they are. <\/p>\n
“The tennis circuit is brutal – you go from one week to the next and there’s not much time to rest and recover.<\/p>\n
“You have got to try and pick and choose your moments, but it’s not a player problem – it’s a tennis problem.<\/p>\n
“One of these days maybe everyone can figure out a solution and work together.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n