Emma Raducanu looks like she’s already given herself a better shot at Wimbledon this year.
After missing much of the clay court swing with a viral illness, Raducanu entered the grass season without a win in more than two months.
The British number one made her way through to the final of the Queen’s Club Championships, notching wins over Iva Jovic and Sorana Cirstea along the way. It’s her biggest final appearance since that stunning US Open title run in 2021.
And even before playing in that Queen’s decider, Raducanu had already put herself in a stronger position heading into Wimbledon.
Emma Raducanu may have secured a seed for Wimbledon
Raducanu’s two-month break from the tour saw her ranking drop to world number 42 before the start of Queen’s this year.
That left her unseeded for Wimbledon, meaning she could have drawn anyone, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka, as early as the first round.
But after four straight wins at Queen’s, she’s moved up to 31st in the live rankings. With Victoria Mboko and Hailey Baptiste withdrawing from the tournament, the seeding cut-off has shifted to 34.
That leaves Raducanu in a strong position to be seeded for Wimbledon this year, regardless of how things go against Donna Vekic in the Queen’s final.
A win over Vekic would take her up to 29th in the live rankings, putting her well inside that revised seeding bracket. Even without it, she looks set for a more favourable draw at SW19 this time around.
Emma Raducanu set for busy spell after taking late Nottingham Open wildcard
Raducanu is in for a busy spell, having accepted a late wildcard entry into the WTA 250 event in Nottingham next week.
This week at Queen’s has already taken a toll on her physically, especially since rain delays forced her to play both the quarter-final and semi-final on the same day. Given that workload, it wouldn’t be a shock if she chose to pull out of Nottingham.
But there are good reasons for her to play, even if she’s feeling tired. A run at Nottingham could not only solidify her seeding but also push her ranking even higher ahead of Wimbledon.
Players seeded between 25 and 32 typically face a top-eight seed by the third round, while those ranked 16 to 24 avoid such matchups until at least the fourth round. A strong showing in Nottingham could lift Raducanu into that safer bracket.
The draw has already given Raducanu an interesting path: she’ll start against a qualifier before potentially facing Leylah Fernandez in the second round—a rematch of their US Open final from 2021.
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