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Queen’s final, home crowd
Emma Raducanu reached the Queen’s final at Queen’s Club in west London after returning to Andy Murray Arena and beating Iva Jovic 6-2, 6-2, following lingering doubts after slipping on the slick grass and hurting her left thigh.
Raducanu said, “It means everything to be making the final here and to be making it at home in London,” as she described the support she received as “very emotional.”
The BBC described the match as “The new Emma,” and said Raducanu had finally succumbed to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in a slow-burning Queen’s final.
In the final, Vekic won 6-0, 7-6(6) after Raducanu saved three championship points on her serve and then forced a tiebreak.
The New York Times reported that Vekic became the first lucky loser to win a WTA Tour title since 2023, after staving off Raducanu’s comeback.
Quotes and match turning points
After the Queen’s final, Raducanu said, “Right now it obviously really stings, so I'm just going to try and let myself feel it today - but try and get over it pretty quick.”
The BBC said Raducanu had “admiredly stoked into a scrap” before missing out on a first WTA Tour title and a first trophy since her US Open victory in 2021.
In the trophy ceremony, Vekic told reporters, “Going up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having the chance to play on this court,” after winning the biggest title of her career.
The New York Times described how Raducanu turned to her box and said “say something, you’re saying nothing,” with Vekic up 40-15 on her own serve.
The Telegraph framed the match as a 6-0, 7-6 victory for Vekic on her fifth match point, while also quoting Raducanu saying, “I was in awe of the atmosphere and in awe of the support I received all week.”
Wimbledon focus and what’s next
With Wimbledon just around the corner, Raducanu’s week at Queen’s ended with her searching for a first title since the 2021 U.S. Open, while Vekic’s win set up a grass-court challenge for the tournament that starts June 29.
“The British number one’s impressive run came to an end in the final when she was beaten by Croatia’s Donna Vekic, who held her nerve to claim victory after a fiercely contested encounter”
The New York Times reported that both players’ exploits put them in line to be seeded at Wimbledon, which starts June 29, and said Raducanu was searching for her first title since the 2021 U.S. Open.
The BBC said Raducanu had reappointed Andrew Richardson until the end of the season and pointed to her “productive week at the quaint club nestled in the Victorian terraces of west London.”
Raducanu told the BBC, “I think I'm playing pretty freely, pretty aggressively, but finding the right balance,” and added, “It's important on grass.”
The Guardian said Raducanu’s quest for a second title will take her face-to-face with Donna Vekic, a Croatian veteran who despite being a lucky loser ranked No 76 and reached a career-high ranking of No 17 last year.
