HSBC Championships 2026: Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter team up at Queen’s

Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter are set to begin their grass-court seasons at Queen’s Club, renewing their doubles partnership at the HSBC Championships in West London. The pair, who made their doubles debut together at the event last year, will once again team up in front of a home crowd as British tennis enters one of its most important stretches of the summer.

Raducanu, Britain’s No. 1 and Boulter, the British No. 3, both described the tournament as an ideal chance to gain more time on grass while also enjoying the atmosphere that made their debut partnership memorable. Raducanu said she enjoys playing with Boulter and hopes Queen’s becomes a regular event for them together. She said last year’s experience was especially fun because of the strong support from the crowd, including a packed Court 1, and added that she is excited to return to the competition and play on home soil again.

Boulter echoed that view, saying Queen’s offers the perfect setting for both players to find their rhythm on grass. She described last year’s doubles run with Raducanu as enjoyable but competitive, noting that both players had a strong desire to win. The 29-year-old, who has twice won the Lexus Nottingham Open, said returning to grass each summer brings back childhood memories and helps ground her, making the surface feel especially meaningful and familiar.

For Raducanu, the grass season also represents another opportunity to build momentum after a difficult period interrupted by injury and limited competition. Earlier this year, she reached her first WTA final since her 2021 US Open triumph, but she was sidelined for a significant part of the season and only returned to action during the clay-court swing. The 23-year-old said she has been focusing on a more aggressive style of play and believes that approach can help her on grass, where serving and returning are especially important. She also pointed to her previous success on the surface, including a quarter-final run at Queen’s last year and two appearances in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Raducanu said the recent weeks have been about improving the quality of her first shots and making the most of limited match practice. Although she has not had many matches leading into the grass season, she said she has been working hard day by day and taking lessons from her recent return to competition in Strasbourg and at the French Open.

Boulter faces a more difficult path in singles, with a first-round match against former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez is ranked just outside the world’s top 20, but Boulter believes her experience on grass could be a factor. She said their previous meeting in Billie Jean King Cup was played at a high level and expects another intense contest. While acknowledging Fernandez’s quality, Boulter said she sees the match as a chance to use her grass-court experience and challenge herself against a top opponent.

The HSBC Championships begin on Monday, June 8, with British fans able to watch the action live on BBC platforms.