Emma Raducanu’s run at Queen’s Club ended one win short of the title Sunday, as Donna Vekic defeated the British No. 1 6-0, 7-6(6) to claim the HSBC Championships crown.
Raducanu had arrived in the final with momentum, home support and a chance to win her first tour-level title since her 2021 US Open breakthrough. Instead, Vekic produced a composed and aggressive performance, surviving a second-set fightback to deny Raducanu a first title on home soil.
The match began badly for Raducanu. Vekic took control immediately, winning the first seven games and racing through the opening set without dropping a game. The Croatian’s depth and pace forced Raducanu onto the defensive, while the Briton struggled to find timing after a demanding week on grass.
Raducanu, however, did not let the final drift away quietly. Backed by the London crowd, she found her range in the second set and built a 5-2 lead, putting herself in position to force a deciding set. It was the kind of response that had defined her week at Queen’s, where she had played through physical concerns and won twice on Saturday to reach the final.
But Vekic steadied herself at the critical moment. She pulled the set back on serve, saved set points, and dragged Raducanu into a tense tiebreak. Raducanu saved championship points, but Vekic finally converted on her fifth opportunity to close out the match after one hour and 48 minutes.
For Raducanu, the defeat will sting because of the second-set opportunity. After being overwhelmed in the opening set, she had turned the match around enough to put Vekic under real pressure. But she could not finish the set, and Vekic’s experience told in the final stretch.
Still, the week was a significant step forward for Raducanu heading toward Wimbledon. She reached the first WTA 500 final of her career and her first final on grass, beating Anna Blinkova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova and Iva Jovic on the way. Her semifinal win over Jovic came after she had already played earlier Saturday, a test of both form and fitness after an uneven stretch of injuries and interruptions.
Vekic’s title was also a major statement. She entered the main draw as a lucky loser after falling in qualifying, then went on to win the tournament. The victory gave her a first WTA 500 title, her fifth career singles title, and another strong grass-court result from a player who has previously reached the Wimbledon semifinals.
Raducanu leaves Queen’s without the trophy, but not without encouragement. Her movement, shot-making and competitive edge improved as the tournament went on, and her run gives her valuable match play before Wimbledon.
The question now is whether she can carry that level into the All England Club. Sunday’s final showed both sides of her current position: the game is still dangerous on grass, but closing out the biggest moments remains the next step.
