Donna Vekic Defeats Emma Raducanu to Win at Queen’s Club

Croatia’s Donna Vekic ended a two-year title drought on Sunday, defeating home favourite Emma Raducanu 6-0, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour and 48 minutes to claim the HSBC Championships title at Queen’s Club. The win was Vekic’s fifth career singles title and her first at WTA 500 level.

Vekic, 29, dominated the opening set, winning the first seven games of the match. Raducanu, spurred on by the home crowd, finally found her footing in the second set and pulled away to a 5-2 lead. She held a pair of set points but was not able to convert them. Vekic steadied herself, saved the crucial points— including one with a standout lob — and closed out the match in the tiebreak on her fifth championship point.

The victory was extremely impressive, as Vekic entered the main draw as a lucky loser after falling in the final round of qualifying to Anna Blinkova (whom Raducanu then defeated 6-0, 6-3 in the first round). She became the sixth lucky loser to win a WTA title and the first since 2023, as well as the first to achieve the feat at WTA 500 level or higher.

Vekic’s Path and Performance

After receiving the lucky-loser entry, Vekic dropped just one set en-route to the title across her main draw matches. She defeated Mika Stojsavljevic, Marie Bouzkova, Katie Boulter, and Raducanu, all in straight sets, overcoming three British players in the process. In the final, she recorded 32 winners to 25 unforced errors, dominating off both wings with particular effectiveness on the forehand.

“Winning 6-0 in tennis can be a curse sometimes,” Vekic said in her post-match press conference. “But I was just thinking — you know, she started playing really well in the second set, really raised her level, and I was just thinking to myself, ‘Okay, just stay with her and try to make her play an extra ball. I’m really happy I managed to come back.'”

Vekic bolstered her strong grass-court credentials with the win. A former Wimbledon semi-finalist and Olympic silver medallist, she had reached five previous grass finals but won only one prior to this (Nottingham 2017). She expressed her love for the surface: “This is really my favorite time of the year, my favorite surface. I really made the most out of it this week and I’ll see you all in two weeks at Wimbledon.”

During the trophy presentation, she also reflected on the significance of the venue: “Growing up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having a chance to play on this court at this amazing club. I’m very grateful that since last year we have an opportunity to play here as well.”

Raducanu’s Resilient Run

For Raducanu, the runner-up finish came after a demanding week that included a Saturday doubleheader. Despite the disappointing final result, she again showed why there’s so much hype around her, and produced some of her best tennis of the season on home soil. She secured her first two Top 20 wins in more than a year (against Sorana Cirstea and Iva Jovic) and reached the final without dropping a set prior to facing Vekic.

“What a week,” Raducanu said. “It’s been an incredible week for me making the final here. Playing in my home city, my home tournament, where I feel the best. I mean, the support I’ve received all week has been incredible. So I really just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone.”

She acknowledged the difficulty of the final: “Today especially was a really tough match. Donna played extremely well from the start to the finish, so thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also helping me push back in that second set.”

Reflecting on her season so far, Raducanu spoke with some pride: “I haven’t really played much this season, but to think I have made two finals so far, which I haven’t done in years, it has to be celebrated. It’s a good achievement for me and I’m proud of it.” She added that she would allow herself to feel the disappointment before moving on.

Both players are now set for rankings boosts. Raducanu is projected to rise to No. 31, while Vekic climbs to No. 32, from No.76 positioning both favourably for seeding at Wimbledon. With Vekic defending second round points, and Raducany third round points from Wimbledon last year, both would see an opportunity to capitalise.

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