Emma Raducanu targets Wimbledon success after Queen’s final defeat
Emma Raducanu is aiming to carry her promising grass-court momentum into Wimbledon after falling to an inspired Donna Vekic in the Queen’s Championship final.
The former US Open champion was visibly disappointed as an erratic groundstroke handed Vekic a 6-0 7-6 victory, extending her wait for a first tournament title since 2021.
“Right now it obviously really stings, so I’m just going to let myself feel it today but try to get over it pretty quick,” Raducanu said.
Bouncing back rapidly from setbacks was the hallmark of several tenacious performances by the Briton throughout her impressive week in west London.
Shrugging off injury fears
Raducanu’s burgeoning career has been repeatedly disrupted by physical issues, and a heavy slip on the damp grass during her quarter-final against Kamilla Rakhimova sparked familiar concerns.
Despite requiring a medical timeout and returning with heavy strapping, she refused to let the pain or fear of slipping hamper her aggressive baseline game.
Any lingering doubts over her physical condition were firmly allayed when she returned to the court just two and a half hours later following a rain delay.
The British star confidently brushed aside talented teenager Iva Jovic in straight sets to secure her place in the grass-court final.
Building towards SW19
Maintaining physical durability has been a persistent challenge for the youngster, exacerbated by a heavily disrupted start to the season where a post-viral illness sidelined her for two months.
However, successfully navigating a heavily condensed schedule of intense battles on the grass appears to have caused no lasting physical damage.
She defeated two top-20 opponents without dropping a single set en route to the final, providing deeply encouraging signs ahead of the upcoming Grand Slam at the All England Club.
While the final closely mirrored her recent French Open exit against Solana Sierra, her trademark resilience was once again firmly on display to offer a solid foundation for Wimbledon.
