Emma Raducanu returned to singles action on Tuesday afternoon with a performance that made it hard to believe she’d recently voiced concerns over her fitness.
After a back spasm in the lead-up to Queen’s, there were whispers about whether she’d be moving freely—but those doubts were quickly put to bed as she breezed past Spain’s Cristina Bucsa with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win.
The former US Open champion looked cool and confident from the start, showing no signs of discomfort as she set the tone on the newly named Andy Murray Arena at The Queen’s Club.
Making Herself at Home on Centre Court
Though she recently admitted a preference for smaller courts—especially after her high-profile doubles match with Katie Boulter was sidelined to Court One due to TV scheduling—Raducanu looked totally in her element on the main stage.
The sun was out, the crowd was engaged, and Raducanu seemed “locked in,” as she put it herself.
By the third game, after holding her serve in a slightly gritty fashion, the 21-year-old settled into a dominant rhythm that Bucsa simply couldn’t match.
Her sharp movement and effortless hitting created a sense that this might not just be a one-off performance, but the beginning of something more significant.
Bucsa Struggles to Keep Up
Cristina Bucsa, ranked No. 116 in the world, never really found her footing.
Although she made it through qualifying, the gulf in class was obvious.
Raducanu broke early, mixing clean forehand winners with well-timed volleys, and kept dragging Bucsa across the court to the point of exhaustion.
The first set flew by as if Raducanu had somewhere else to be—she closed it out with flair and urgency.
One standout moment came when she snatched the match’s first break with a slick backhand volley that Bucsa had no chance of reaching.
From there, Raducanu never looked back.
The Second Set Starts the Same—But With a Small Twist
Just like the first, the second set began with Raducanu in cruise control.
The British crowd lapped it up as she took a 5-0 lead with very little resistance.
Bucsa did manage to get on the scoreboard eventually, holding serve with an ace and a bit of grit in the sixth game.
It was a small moment of pride for the Spaniard, but not the start of a comeback.
Raducanu briefly dipped in focus, allowing Bucsa a glimmer of a chance at 30-30 with a clever drop shot.
But that was the extent of the challenge. The Brit held serve again, bringing the match to a close with an air of ease that felt almost routine.
A Performance That Sparks Hope—Whether She Wants It or Not
Despite trying to temper expectations ahead of the tournament, Raducanu’s clinical display made it hard for fans not to get excited.
Her pace, timing, and overall command looked sharper than they have in a long time.
And while she played down talk of success by setting “pretty low expectations,” this level of play suggests she could be a real threat heading into Wimbledon.
Of course, beating a qualifier like Bucsa is just the beginning.
But you can only beat the player in front of you—and Raducanu did that with authority.
Performances like this don’t just win matches—they reignite belief.