'The new Emma' - positives Raducanu can take from Queen's to Wimbledon — Sport

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Vekic defeats Raducanu in straight sets to claim Queen's title

Published 9 hours ago

For the opening time this week, Emma Raducanu sat on her bench and appeared dejected.

The British top seed had ultimately fallen to Croatia's Donna Vekic in a gradually intensifying Queen's final, failing to fend off a fifth championship point and extend a contest she had valiantly turned into a battle.

The 23-year-old has certainly enjoyed a fruitful week at the charming venue set among the Victorian townhouses of west London.

Yet missing out on her first WTA Tour title—and a first trophy since her remarkable US Open victory in 2021—still stung.

"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," Raducanu said.

With Wimbledon approaching, BBC Sport examines the positives Raducanu can draw from her promising start to the grass-court season.

Raducanu loses Queen's final as trophy wait continues Published 13 hours ago

Raducanu loses Queen's final as trophy wait continues

Published 13 hours ago

Playing with freedom on a surface that complements her game

When Raducanu reviewed her French Open first-round exit just three weeks ago in Paris, the outlook was far more gloomy.

Skipping the entire clay-court season had been a realistic choice, given she had only contested four matches in the preceding three months due to a viral illness and its lingering effects.

Instead, Raducanu believed the time spent on clay—building up match fitness in her legs—would yield benefits when she returned to Britain for the grass season.

Crucially, it meant she did not need to make a fresh start under the guidance of Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped Raducanu win the US Open and has been reappointed through the end of the season.

Raducanu has long sought freedom on the court, performing with a looseness that allows her natural game to thrive.

Over the past week at Queen's, Raducanu has discovered what she has been looking for.

Raducanu reached the final without dropping a set, and although she ultimately fell short against Vekic, there was clear proof of how the grass courts suit her.

First, Raducanu's movement on the surface is fluid and assured—unlike many of her peers who were trained on clay and hard courts.

Second, the ball's tendency to have a lower, skiddier bounce on grass means Raducanu's serve and groundstrokes carry more power.

"I think I'm playing pretty freely, pretty aggressively, but finding the right balance," she said.

"I've been returning well, serving pretty well. It's important on grass."

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Raducanu grateful for "incredible support" after Queen's final defeat

Another familiar face—and playing with a smile

Rehiring Richardson seems to have been a brilliant move.

Under his coaching, she has played four tour-level tournaments—including the 2021 US Open and this year's Queen's—and won 14 of her 17 matches.

Richardson is a traditional coach who emphasizes volume to build good habits—essentially, hitting plenty of balls and putting in the hard work.

Described as a 'gentle giant,' Raducanu says Richardson also has a competitive edge that ignites her fighting spirit.

His instructions can sometimes be minimal, but the targeted advice has an impact on a player who enjoys being pushed by her coaches.

During the second set against Vekic, Richardson could be heard telling Raducanu to drive returns down the middle of the court—to force her opponent into longer rallies that she did not enjoy.

It was a strategy that altered the match's dynamics.

"It's great to have him back. I think we have been working on this game style. The whole week I have been playing really, really good tennis and the brand of tennis that I really want to play," Raducanu said.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily the old Emma. I think it's the new Emma.

"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."

Raducanu has shown she performs better when surrounded by long-time confidants she trusts completely.

On home ground, with strong support from friends and fans, it has been striking how relaxed and cheerful she has appeared at Queen's—enabling her to play with the freedom she desires.

The positive energy that British grass events provide Raducanu has also been noticeable at Wimbledon, where, apart from her fairytale in New York, she has achieved the best Grand Slam results of her career.

Emma Raducanu has reached two WTA finals this year, despite a stop-start season disrupted by illness

Showing a resilience that many doubted

Questions have often been raised about Raducanu's mental fortitude.

Does she have the determination for the fight? Is she tough enough to overcome difficult situations?

This week she has demonstrated she possesses that crucial quality for any elite player.

The way she recovered in the second set against Vekic was another commendable example and a promising sign for the future—even though she eventually faded.

"I managed to get myself back into the second set and I'm proud of how I fought," Raducanu said.

"That's not something that in the past years I have always done, so that's a positive."

Raducanu cannot be accused of having an easy route to the Queen's final either.

She defeated a pair of top-20 players in Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea and American teenager Iva Jovic along the way—and overcame an injury scare to win two matches on Saturday.

But this is only the first step

An injury-hit start, glimmers of hope in the spring, a tough clay swing, flourishing on the British grass.

Repeat the cycle.

The past few years have generally followed a similar pattern for Raducanu.

This season has, so far, matched that template. Now Raducanu has to break it.

The next challenge is sustaining the level she has shown at Queen's—arguably her best tennis since that incredible US Open triumph—over an extended period.

The momentum she has built in west London is a major step in the right direction with Wimbledon, which begins in two weeks, rapidly approaching.

Since becoming a Grand Slam champion as a teenage qualifier, Raducanu has reached the second week of a major just once more—at Wimbledon two years ago.

The Grand Slam tournaments remain the benchmark for success—at least in the eyes of a broader audience—and another deep run in front of a supportive home crowd at the All England Club would further enhance Raducanu's standing.

"Going into Wimbledon you want as many matches on grass as possible. This week was great. I played five matches on grass," said Raducanu, who now appears unlikely to play the WTA event in Nottingham starting on Monday.

"It has to be a positive. You take things that work, take things that didn't work, and apply it to when I play next."