Emma Raducanu warned of soaring Wimbledon expectations after Queen’s defeat
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been warned of soaring expectations ahead of Wimbledon following her runner-up finish at the Queen’s Club Championship.
The British star suffered a straight-sets defeat to Croatian Donna Vekic in the final of the WTA 500 event in west London.
Despite falling short in the title decider, her impressive run on grass has reignited public excitement ahead of the third Grand Slam of the year.
Rusedski highlights intense SW19 spotlight
Former British number one Greg Rusedski believes her recent exploits will dramatically intensify the pressure when she arrives at the historic tournament.
Everybody is talking about her, no matter what she does, and all of a sudden, the expectations for Wimbledon have just gone up.
Speaking on his podcast, the tennis veteran highlighted her immense commercial value to the sport and her unique connection with the home crowd.
She is a massive asset. I mean, she came out of nowhere and won ten matches in a row to win a major.
Overcoming early season struggles
The 2021 Flushing Meadows winner has endured a tumultuous start to the season, battling both a foot injury and a severe viral infection.
These setbacks forced her to miss two months of competitive action after parting ways with coach Francisco Roig in late January.
However, reaching two finals this calendar year represents a significant milestone in her ongoing recovery and return to elite fitness.
Focus shifts to Wimbledon preparation
The straight-sets loss to Vekic concluded a gruelling week, marked by a battling second-set tiebreak following a difficult opening set.
I haven’t really played much this season, but to think I have made two finals so far, which I haven’t done in years, it has to be kind of, in a way, celebrated.
The former world number 10 acknowledged that the final defeat stung, but remains fiercely proud of the aggressive, free-flowing tennis she produced.
With Wimbledon fast approaching, she will now bypass the Nottingham Open to finalise her preparations on the practice courts.
