Emma Raducanu’s wait for a second WTA title goes on.
Donna Vekic, world number 76, defeated Raducanu 6-0, 7-6 in the Queen’s Club Championships final on Sunday afternoon.
The Croat dominated proceedings from the off, affording Raducanu little room for error throughout the first set.
Raducanu soon brought the raucous crowd into the match and established a commanding 5-2 lead in the second set.
However, it was not to be for the British number one, who lost the decisive second-set tiebreak 8-6.
Despite the defeat, Raducanu can be proud of her efforts in West London.
The Briton produced some of her very best tennis throughout the week, dismissing the likes of Sorana Cirstea and Iva Jovic on her way to the final.
How far do you think Emma Raducanu will go at Wimbledon after watching her at Queen’s?
Raducanu’s uptick in form was recognised by Annabel Croft, who made a bold claim about the British star during her post-match analysis.
Annabel Croft says Emma Raducanu has ‘reignited’ her Grand Slam winning form
“She came so close to levelling up this match and who knows what might have happened in that final set,” Croft [pictured below] said while commentating for the BBC.
“Regardless, I think we know she has reignited the form that saw her win the US Open and it is going to give her a lot of confidence and form going into Wimbledon,” the former world number 24 continued.
“Certainly way better than where she was at three months ago, where she was short of match play and confidence.
“But we really saw evidence of why everyone is really excited about her tennis.”
While Croft has most definitely made a brave claim, her overall argument is far from incorrect.
Over the past week, Raducanu has undoubtedly produced some of her best tennis since winning the US Open.
After a tough six months on the Tour, the Briton has ‘reignited’ her best form – Raducanu will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the rest of the grass-court swing.
Who is currently the best grass-court player on the WTA Tour?
Raducanu’s next stop is in Nottingham, where she will play a qualifier in the first round.
Raducanu last played at the event in 2024, losing in the semi-finals to eventual champion Katie Boulter.
Who else triumphed on Sunday?
Ben Shelton clinched his third title of the year by beating compatriot Taylor Fritz in the Stuttgart Open final.
Shelton, who beat Fritz 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, admitted he was ‘exhausted’ after the contest.
“It certainly means a lot. Certainly a difficult week, not an easy week to get through. I’m pretty exhausted,” the American number one said during his post-match speech.
“But to play the way that I did against the quality opponents that I played, very, very tight matches and, you know, getting a win today over one of the best grass-court players in the world is a huge boost for my confidence.
“And yeah, just happy to get my first title out here in Stuttgart.”
Kamil Majchrzak, the world number 76, won his first ATP Tour title after beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 in the Libema Open final.
Majchrzak, born in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, was left almost speechless after clinching his greatest honour to date.
“I don’t know what to say,” the Pole said afterwards, as reported by the ATP.
“This is an incredible moment for me and an incredible fun and run to make this happen.
“Alex is one of the toughest opponents you can face, so I knew I had to play my best to win and I think I did for the most part of the match.
“I am really grateful for this moment and will really enjoy it so much. Thanks to everyone who came here. It has been unbelievable.”
Robin Montgomery [pictured below], the world number 484, also won her first WTA Tour event following the withdrawal of Barbora Krejcikova from Sunday’s final.
Krejcikova, a two-time major singles champion, cited an upper respiratory illness as the reason for her withdrawal.