Emma Raducanu is proving once again why she’s a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court.
On Thursday, the 22-year-old secured a confident 6-4, 6-1 victory over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova, booking her place in the Queen’s Club quarter-finals and showing the world she’s back in peak form.
Regaining the British No.1 Spot with Style
Raducanu recently reclaimed the British No.1 ranking from Katie Boulter in a slightly unusual way, as Boulter lost Nottingham points a week earlier because of Queen’s tournament schedule changes.
But Raducanu’s strong performance on the grass courts made it clear she earned the spot on merit.
It’s been two years since she last held the top British ranking, and today she made a compelling case for why she’s ready to stay there.
A Rapid Start and a Momentary Stumble
After a commanding win against Cristina Bucsa earlier in the week, Raducanu came into the match full of confidence.
She quickly took control, racing through the first five games in under 25 minutes, displaying sharp, powerful shots on both wings that left her opponent struggling to keep up.
Although the two are close in the world rankings, Emma played like she was in a league of her own.
However, while serving to close out the first set, Raducanu seemed a bit too eager to finish quickly.
That slight loss of focus allowed Sramkova to capitalize and win the next three games, catching the crowd off guard and forcing Emma to fight hard to regain control on her own serve.
Taking Control and Showing Resilience
After a brief pause, Raducanu came back with renewed energy.
She immediately broke Sramkova’s serve and reasserted her dominance on the court.
One of the impressive highlights of her performance this week has been her movement, especially considering she’s been managing a recurring back issue.
Sramkova’s attempts at drop shots often backfired, with Emma covering the court brilliantly and punishing those shots.
A Lightness and Confidence Returning to Her Game
It’s not just her physical movement that’s stood out. Raducanu’s overall demeanor on the court feels lighter and freer than before.
Earlier this week, she smiled and relaxed while playing doubles with Boulter, and a similar easy-going energy has carried over into her singles matches.
This week’s favorable conditions — including the return of coach Nick Cavaday alongside Mark Petchey and the support of a lively home crowd — seem to be giving her exactly the boost she needs.
Looking Ahead to the Quarter-Finals with Confidence
Emma Raducanu is clearly rising to the occasion at Queen’s Club, and with the quarter-finals just around the corner, she’s ready to keep that momentum going.
With her confident play, strong support team, and home crowd behind her, the British star looks poised to make a deep run in the tournament and remind everyone why she’s one of the brightest talents in tennis today.