Emma Raducanu’s strong run at Queen’s Club ended in disappointment as Donna Vekic produced a commanding performance to win the WTA 500 title with a 6-0, 7-6 (6) victory in the final. In front of a home crowd on a historic London court, Raducanu had looked poised for another special moment after reaching the biggest final of her recent comeback, but Vekic’s aggressive grass-court tennis quickly changed the tone of the match.
The Croatian, who entered the event as a lucky loser after losing in qualifying and was ranked No 76, made the most of her second chance. Vekic, a former world No 17 and 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist, showed why she is so dangerous on grass. She served with authority, struck the ball cleanly from both wings and dictated much of the match with power and precision. Her victory marked the biggest title of her career.
Raducanu, ranked No 42, fought hard after a brutal opening set and gave herself several opportunities to push the final into a deciding third set. She recovered from a difficult start to lead 5-2 in the second set and later held two set points at 5-4 on serve. But in the key moments, she became tentative, and Vekic responded with confidence and composure to turn the match back in her favor.
The result was painful for Raducanu, who said afterward that she was proud of making two finals this season despite missing much of the campaign because of a post-viral illness and other physical setbacks. She said the loss stung badly but added that she would try to move on quickly. Her performance this week still represented a major step forward after a long period without a win since March.
Raducanu’s path to the final had been encouraging, especially after a demanding Saturday in which she won two matches and battled through a thigh scare after slipping in the earlier round. However, the accumulated fatigue, physical concerns and pressure appeared to affect her in the final. Her groundstrokes lacked their usual pace, her serve was inconsistent, and she struggled to handle Vekic’s heavy hitting from the baseline.
Even so, Raducanu showed resilience. After failing to serve out the second set at 5-2 and then missing her chance at 5-4, she saved three match points to force a tie-break. But Vekic regained control, steadied herself and closed out the match to complete an impressive comeback from illness and qualifying defeat to a major title.
For Raducanu, the week offered signs of progress, confidence and physical improvement. For Vekic, it was a reminder that she remains one of the tour’s most dangerous players on grass.
