Emma Raducanu has reclaimed her position as the British No 1 for the first time in two years after defeating Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-1 at Queen’s to reach the quarter-finals. With this result, Raducanu climbed to world No 35 in the live rankings, overtaking Katie Boulter, who was beaten earlier in the day by fifth seed Diana Shnaider in three sets.
Raducanu’s return to form marks a significant turnaround after injuries and surgeries sidelined her for much of 2023. She missed eight months recovering from operations on her wrists and ankle, causing her to fall out of the top 300. Her resurgence this grass-court season has been steady, and this latest victory only reinforces her growing momentum.
Despite acknowledging the milestone of becoming British No 1 again, Raducanu downplayed its importance, focusing instead on the healthy rivalry with Boulter. She expressed her admiration for Boulter’s progress and said their friendly competition motivates both of them to improve. The two players even teamed up in doubles earlier in the week, a rare move for Raducanu, who has only played doubles twice in her career.
Raducanu started strongly against Sramkova, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening set with aggressive returning and baseline dominance. However, she briefly lost momentum, allowing Sramkova to claw back to 5-4. Regaining her focus, Raducanu closed the set with authority. In the second set, she maintained full control, racing to a 5-1 lead and finishing the match without faltering.
Sramkova, ranked 41st, is known for her athleticism and counterpunching, but those qualities are more effective on slower surfaces. On grass, Raducanu’s early ball-striking and assertiveness gave her the edge throughout. This performance continues her trend of commanding wins this week, including a strong opening-round victory over Cristina Bucsa.
Raducanu has been working with Mark Petchey during the grass season and was also joined by her former coach Nick Cavaday, who stepped back earlier in the year due to health reasons. The presence of both coaches seems to be helping her confidence and performance.
She also overcame back spasms that had interrupted her build-up to Queen’s, showing few signs of discomfort during her matches. Her doubles outing with Boulter ended in a quarter-final loss, which left her emotionally deflated, making her singles rebound even more commendable.
Looking ahead, Raducanu faces a tough quarter-final match against top seed Zheng Qinwen, who advanced after a hard-fought three-set win. This next clash will provide a more accurate gauge of Raducanu’s current level as she builds toward Wimbledon.
