Queens
Raducanu win puts her above Boulter in rankings
Emma Raducanu started her grass-court singles 2025 campaign with a straight-sets win over Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa at Queens Club, featuring women for the first time since 1973.
She took just one hour and five minutes to coast past world number 112 Bucsa 6-1 6-2 and enjoyed the occasion in front of a home crowd in West London.
“Going on to the court laughing at certain shots, or I’m smiling if I have pulled off a great shot, it does help relax you,” Raducanu said.
“I play my best when my personality is put on the court and I can express myself, and I feel like sometimes when I’ve been constrained to play a certain way, it hasn’t necessarily worked.
“I just need to be free and expressive, and then certain moments of creativity can come up.”
For the time being, the win puts Raducanu above compatriot Katie Boulter in the live rankings and could be the end of Boulter’s two-year reign as British number one, depending on how they both perform this week.
Boulter had earlier booked her place in the last 16 but is defending ranking points at the tournament, the first women’s Tour event at Queen’s since 1973.
Katie Boulter celebrates Queens win – by Mark Greenwood IPS
She overcame a tough test against Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic, winning 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-4.
Another Brit Heather Watson made it a British treble getting through to the second round beating Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4 6-3 to set up a last-16 meeting with Elena Rybakina.
Main photo:- Emma Raducanu made quick work of Cristina Busca – by Mark Greenwood/Grandslamtennis
The WTA hype machine hit full power on Monday with the announcement that Serena Williams will mount a comeback to tennis three months shy of her 45th birthday.
While nothing is official, the 23-time Grand Slam winner who left the court in 2022 to concentrate on motherhood and business initiatives, will receive a wild card into doubles at next week’s Queen’s club event in London.
The American with 73 singles titles from an 18-year career walked away from the game after a third -round loss at the 2022 US Open to Ajla Tomljanovic.
Queen’s officials have yet to confirm the wild card entry or a partner for Williams.
A disheartening French Open defeat has left Emma Raducanu’s dream of a Wimbledon seeding a mirage.
The Briton who has barely played through injury and illness over the last few seasons, crashed out in a dismal showing, losing 6-0, 7-6 (4) to Solana Sierra of Argentina.
The Day 1 defeat dropped her ranking to 39th, out of range for one of the 32 seeded spots when play begins in a month.
The former US Open winner is apparently ready to get straight onto the grass, with the BBC reporting that she has signed up for pre-Wimbledon WTA tournaments in Berlin and Eastbourne after Queen’s Club and prior to the Grand Slam.
Carlos Alcaraz could miss the entire grass season if a worst-case scenario on his wrist injury comes into play.
The Spaniard has already withdrawn from title defences on clay at Rome and Roland Garros after injuring the wrist this month in Barcelona.
But latest reports from Spain indicate that the world No. 2 could possibly not be back until the start of the US Open run-up next August, possibly at the Cincinnati Masters.
Rome’s La Gazzetta dello Sport broke the bad news on the fitness state of Alcaraz, winner of the last two French Open editions. The paper reported there was no chance for the player to compete either at Queen’s club, London, or Wimbledon, which begins in late June.
Main photo:- Carlos Alcaraz reached Wimbledon final 2025 – by Roger Parker ISF Ltd
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