“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.” That was Emma Raducanu’s verdict after defeat in the Queen’s Championship final to an inspired Donna Vekic, as her wait for a first title since the US Open in 2021 continues. The 23-year-old was visibly disappointed as an erratic groundstroke handed over a 6-0 7-6 (8-6) victory – but she was also quick to note how significant, and positive, a week this was.
Getting over setbacks quickly, as she will now have to do to shrug off this disappointment, was the hallmark of several tenacious performances by the Briton in west London. Raducanu’s career so far has been dogged by a litany of injury woes and she looked to be heading down a familiar road as she slipped on the sodden grass in her quarter-final against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.
A nasty fall on the surface had left world No 9 Victoria Mboko with a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury earlier in the week. Raducanu evidently was not so badly affected but still went off court for a medical check after losing the next game, returning with heavy strapping. She was tentative on the surface afterwards but did not let the pain, or fear of slipping again, hamper her game, winning in straight sets.
Any concerns over her physical condition were allayed as she came back out just two and a half hours later to play her semi-final, brushing past talented teenager Iva Jovic 6-2 6-2. Being able to maintain physical fitness and durability has been a concern throughout her career and has not been helped by a start to the season very light on matches: she did not play competitively in two months as she struggled to shake off a post-viral illness, then lost quickly in two appearances on clay.
But a week of matches heavily condensed together, thanks to torrential rain at Queen’s delaying play, and many of them intense physical battles, seems to have done her no harm at all. She beat two top-20 players, the resurgent Sorana Cirstea and Jovic, and did not drop a set en route to the final. The signs are encouraging as she continues on to Wimbledon.
The final itself called to mind her recent exit in the first round of the French Open: a first-set shellacking by an opponent quickly out of the blocks and deeply assured on the surface, before a gripping second-set fightback in which her resilience – which has sometimes questioned – was on show.
The scorelines were nearly identical – her defeat to clay-court specialist Solana Sierra a 6-0 7-6(4) – but the tempo of the matches were different. Against Sierra she battled back from 4-1 down in the second set, taking advantage of her opponent briefly wavering, while against Vekic she led 5-2 and had further chances to extend it to a third set at 5-4.
In both cases her opponent wrestled back control, but her fighting spirit, and ability to conjure some of her best tennis with her back against the wall, was encouraging. She saved four match points against Vekic, three on her serve when down 6-5, but was unable to break down the Croatian, who dominated baseline exchanges and seemed to retrieve every ball sent her way.
The fact that Vekic lost in Queen’s qualifying and only made the final as a lucky loser was deceptive: she struggled with illness at the start of the week, but was always going to be a difficult opponent once she recovered. She reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years ago and genuinely loves playing on grass. A stunning forehand down the line for her fifth match point, which she would go on to convert, encapsulated a superb performance by the 29-year-old.
Vekic played some of her best tennis of the entire season on Sunday but like against Sierra, Raducanu could and should have exploited her momentum in the second set. In both matches she failed to take her chances to extend the match into a third; learning how to grasp those opportunities, and stand confidently behind her groundstrokes in key moments, will be crucial in future.
Beyond the improvements to her physical condition and the wells of mental toughness she could dip into this week, it has been noticeable how much Raducanu has appeared to enjoy her outing on the grass – a surface which she always appears to play with freedom and creativity on.
The trademark fist pumps and roars of encouragement to herself have been on show, as have big smiles and genuine appreciation for the home crowd. The positive atmosphere, both within her box, her own mind, and the tournament itself, has been key. She thanked the crowd on Andy Murray Arena for “helping me push back in that second set”, and gave Vekic credit for going all the way from qualifying to winning the title – something she is the poster girl for.
It would be remiss not to mention that Raducanu’s uptick in form has coincided with the return of Andrew Richardson, who coached her to the US Open title five years ago.
Throughout her career Raducanu has looked her most relaxed, and played her most impressive tennis, under the guidance of a team she trusts and knows well – evident last year in a positive run under Mark Petchey and Jane O’Donohue. Throughout this week, and the final, she communicated frequently with her box, asking them for more encouragement in the second set, and it worked wonders.
“It’s great to have him back,” she said of Richardson. “The whole week I have been playing really, really good tennis and the brand of tennis that I really want to play. You take all the lessons and experience, all the different ups and downs, and you take everything. You understand a lot more what's going on and what works for you.” Having that “brand of tennis” appears the key to her success.
Raducanu’s muted, businesslike reaction to defeat on Sunday, and desire to get over it “pretty quick”, is another encouraging sign – indicative of a player not satisfied with her progress so far. In a career which has been defined by its stop-start, two steps forward and one step back nature, this must be a point from which she can push on to bigger things. On the basis of her performances this week, she and her team will be confident she can do so.
Read MoreResilient Emma Raducanu denied by Donna Vekic in Queen’s final to extend trophy drought
Wimbledon record prize money increase fails to end dispute with top tennis stars
