Raducanu Sees Win as Start of Strong Grass Season
British tennis player Emma Raducanu expressed optimism following her commanding victory over qualifier Anna Blinkova at the Queen’s Club, viewing it as a positive beginning to her grass-court campaign. Raducanu advanced to the second round with a 6-0, 6-3 win.
“It was a really good stepping stone, and the way I was feeling on the court, the way I was moving, the way I was expressing myself, just the whole package, not necessarily the tennis, just how I kind of was acting on the court, I really enjoyed it,” Raducanu said. “That’s something that I want to take forward in all of my matches and really embrace this grass-court season.”
This match marked Raducanu’s first competition since her straight-sets loss in the first round of the French Open two weeks prior. The world No. 42 has faced a challenging start to the year, having been sidelined for over two months due to a post-viral illness, returning to play less than a week before the French Open. She had become emotional during her press conference in Paris when discussing the mental challenges of managing multiple injuries early in her career.
With an additional two weeks dedicated to training and preparation for the grass season, the 23-year-old appeared noticeably improved. Her performance demonstrated clear-minded, aggressive tennis, characterized by taking the ball early and redirecting it cleanly from both wings, while seeking to control points with her forehand from the baseline.
“We have been working day in, day out, since I started training again, and even throughout the clay season we have been working and putting good shifts in each day,” Raducanu explained. “You don’t know when it’s going to pay off. It’s work that’s compounded over the last few weeks.
“Of course there is a lot more work to do, but I’m really just trying to enjoy the process, despite the results, keep showing up each day with the best attitude and the best commitment I can.”
Other Notable Results at Queen’s
In other matches, Katie Boulter also progressed to the second round after a resilient comeback. She recovered from a set and a break down at 3-6, 3-4 to defeat the eighth seed Leylah Fernandez 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5.
Jack Draper Withdraws to Continue Recovery
Meanwhile, Jack Draper announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Queen’s ATP event due to ongoing injury issues. Draper has not competed since the start of the clay-court season, when he sustained an injury shortly after returning from a serious arm injury in February.
“Recovery going in the right direction, but I’m going to give myself one more week and aim to return at Eastbourne. Very hard to miss one of my favourite events of the year,” Draper said in a statement.
