Emma Raducanu experienced another nightmare in finals, after being decisively defeated by Donna Vekic at the Queen’s Club Championships, with a devastating 6-0 in the first set and an equally painful 7-6(6) in the second. The British crowd, which filled the stands in hopes of seeing the young prodigy return to winning titles on home soil, was incredulous at the initial apathy of the 23-year-old tennis player, who did not hide her frustration and fired harsh criticisms at her own coaching team during the match: “Say something. You’re not saying anything,” Raducanu exclaimed, a clear sign of tension and desperation in the face of her team’s lack of tactical responses.
Emma Raducanu’s defeat, her second in finals this year, occurred this Sunday in London and extends her title drought that has lasted since her epic US Open victory in 2021, when she was only 18 years old. On the grass of Queen’s, Raducanu was considered the strong favorite, buoyed by the noisy support of the crowd and an immaculate campaign leading up to the final. However, Donna Vekic came out strong and gave the Brit no chances in the first set, winning the first seven games mercilessly. In just 29 minutes, Raducanu was backed against the ropes, without solutions and visibly shaken.
THE 2026 WORLD CUP LIVES ON WITH LEGO
The most striking moment of the final came when Raducanu, desperate for guidance and energy, turned to her box and demanded, “Say something. You’re not saying anything.” The plea, almost a cry for help, highlighted the tension between the player and her coaching team, now once again led by Andrew Richardson – the coach with whom she won the US Open, but with whom she only resumed working in May. The connection between them seemed, at least at that moment, far from the chemistry that once existed.
The bank’s reaction was immediate, and Raducanu then seemed to loosen up, regaining energy and confidence. In the second set, she even led 5-2 and had two opportunities to close out the set, but she squandered two set points and allowed Vekic to come back, forcing a tie-break. The tiebreak was breath-taking: Raducanu saved several match points, but the Croatian ultimately sealed her first title since March 2023.
For Raducanu, the outcome is bitter, but there are signs of progress after a season start marked by injuries, coaching changes, and painful losses. After a prolonged absence from the courts, she returned to competition only at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she was eliminated in the first round, and found herself dropped out of the top 40 in the world rankings. Prior to that, she had been knocked out early at the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai, affected by a virus, and lost another final in Cluj-Napoca to Sorana Cirstea.
Still, the return to Queen’s was promising: Raducanu showed signs of her best tennis, eliminating opponents such as Cirstea and Iva Jovic without dropping a single set until the final. In the aftermath of the match, the young British player made sure to thank the support of the London crowd: “It has been an incredible week for me, reaching the final here, playing in my city, at my tournament. The support I received throughout the week has been amazing, and I want to thank everyone. Today was a very tough match. Donna played extremely well from start to finish. Thank you for helping me get through some difficult moments this week and for helping me react in the second set,” Raducanu declared, visibly emotional.
The reunion with Andrew Richardson is seen as an opportunity to regain stability and harness the talent that has already dazzled the tennis world. The focus is now on complete preparation for the short – but decisive – grass season, with stops already scheduled in Nottingham and Eastbourne, before the major challenge of Wimbledon. Queen’s showed that Raducanu is finding her way back, but also that mental and tactical weaknesses still haunt her. The pressure on the Briton is increasing, and the next month will be crucial to determine whether she can finally break the final curse and reclaim titles during one of the most critical phases of her young career.
NOW YOU CAN FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH ALL THE INFORMATION – HERE
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
