Emma Raducanu is officially back in the spotlight—and back on top of British tennis.
The 2021 US Open champion stormed into the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club after a confident 6-4, 6-1 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova, reclaiming the British No. 1 title for the first time in a year. Her victory came with added weight—she’s now the last British player standing in singles at the tournament.
But the road has been anything but smooth. Raducanu has been battling recurring back spasms, even training minimally leading into Queen’s. “Expectations are low,” she said earlier this week, but her performance suggests otherwise. Under the guidance of former coach Nick Cavaday, she’s started finding her rhythm again on grass.
This resurgence comes after an emotionally tough start to 2025. Back in February at the Dubai Duty Free Championships, Raducanu was visibly shaken during a match after spotting a man in the crowd previously known for “fixated behavior.” She fought through tears and discomfort, and the man was eventually removed. The WTA later issued a venue ban against him.
Raducanu also faced difficulties on clay. Her French Open campaign ended in a humbling 6-1, 6-2 loss to world No. 1 Iga Świątek. “I felt exposed,” she admitted afterward, reflecting on a tough transition to clay with little match prep.
Yet, despite the emotional and physical hurdles, Raducanu’s Queen’s Club performance marks a key turning point. She now faces Olympic gold medalist and tournament top seed Qinwen Zheng in the quarters—arguably her biggest test yet this season.
With Wimbledon around the corner, this grass-court confidence boost couldn’t have come at a better time. A deep run here could see her crack back into the top 32, and most importantly, regain her competitive edge.
