Emma Raducanu’s grass-court campaign at Queen’s Club came to an end after a straight-sets defeat to world No 5 Zheng Qinwen, who dominated with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Despite signs of promise in her earlier matches, Raducanu struggled to handle Zheng’s power and consistency in what became a stark reminder of the gulf between rising talents and the elite of the sport.
The British No 1 entered the match with momentum, having claimed confident wins over Cristina Bucsa and Rebecca Sramkova. Those performances helped her reclaim her spot as Britain’s top-ranked player. But against Zheng, a peer in age yet miles ahead in current form, Raducanu was under constant pressure from the start.
Zheng’s serve and forehand dictated play from the opening games. Though her grass-court record before this season was modest, her raw power and athleticism made the difference. Raducanu attempted to counter by stepping in on second serves and looking to inject more pace into her forehand, but the strategy proved ineffective under the weight of Zheng’s ball-striking.
Midway through the match, Raducanu required a medical timeout to address a recurring back issue an ailment that has plagued her in recent weeks. After the match, she admitted that the back spasms were a lingering concern, though not one she sees as seriously threatening her season. Still, she acknowledged the need for careful management to prevent further setbacks.
In the second set, Raducanu showed brief signs of turning the match around. She broke Zheng twice to establish a 3-0 lead and applied pressure on Zheng’s second serve. But her advantage evaporated quickly as Zheng recalibrated her serve and regained control from the baseline. From 4-2 down, Zheng swept the final four games, exposing Raducanu’s inability to sustain her level in the face of elite opposition.
Raducanu reflected candidly after the match, highlighting the quality of her opponent’s serving and the areas of her own game that still need development. She admitted that Zheng neutralized one of her strengths her return game and that there remains “a lot of work to do.”
Despite the loss, Raducanu can take positives from her early-round performances and the fact that she’s once again the leading British woman in the rankings. Her next opportunity will come in Berlin at the WTA 500 event, where she hopes to continue building momentum and test herself further against top-tier opponents. Whether her back will hold up through the summer remains an open question, but her attitude suggests a readiness to face the challenge head-on.
