Queen's Club: Raducanu reaches final after two wins on Saturday

By Callum Ashford — 13 June 2026 — 3 min read

Emma Raducanu has advanced to her first WTA 500 final after a successful day at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club. The British No. 1 secured two victories on Saturday, culminating in a straight-sets win over Iva Jovic in the semi-final. This achievement marks her as the first British woman in 56 years to reach the final at Queen’s.

Raducanu’s journey to the final included a 6-2, 6-2 triumph against Jovic, the world No. 19. This semi-final match, which lasted an hour and 29 minutes, followed an earlier quarter-final victory against Kamilla Rakhimova. The compacted schedule, due to heavy rain earlier in the week, required Raducanu to play two matches in one day.

Despite an injury scare in her quarter-final match against Rakhimova, where she required a medical time-out and returned with a heavily-bandaged left thigh, Raducanu showed no signs of discomfort against Jovic. Her performance against Jovic was described as world-class, showcasing her ability to compete effectively even after a demanding day.

Raducanu expressed her enjoyment of playing at Queen’s, stating, “It means everything to be doing it here at Queen’s in front of everyone. The support today was electric. This week has been incredible. I’ve really enjoyed playing here, and it really shows in my tennis and how I’ve been able to compete in some really tough moments.”

The final will see Raducanu face Croatian lucky loser Donna Vekic. This will be their first career meeting. Raducanu is aiming for her first WTA title since the 2021 US Open, and this marks her second WTA final of the season, having previously been a runner-up at the Transylvania Open.

Her coach, Andrew Richardson, has been guiding her through a recent resurgence. Raducanu acknowledged her team, noting, “Me and my team have stuck through some really tough moments in the last few months when the results haven’t been going our way but we’ve been putting in the work day in and day out. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for getting me to this situation.”

Raducanu’s aggressive play was evident throughout her match against Jovic. She was on the attack in 25% of the points and converted 71% of points in attack. She also returned 100% of second serves from inside the baseline during the week.

In the semi-final, Raducanu secured an early 4-1 lead in the first set with two clean down-the-line winners. Jovic, who had defeated Amanda Anisimova in the previous round, struggled with a foot issue and required a medical timeout. Raducanu maintained her momentum, taking the first set and moving to a 2-0 lead in the second.

Jovic attempted to fight back, breaking serve, but Raducanu quickly re-established her lead, moving to 4-1. A missed break point for Jovic in the subsequent game further solidified Raducanu’s position. Raducanu ultimately broke for a third time to win the set and secure her place in the final.

The other semi-final saw Vekic defeat Katie Boulter, preventing an all-British final. Boulter, making her first last-four appearance at Queen’s, was unable to replicate her earlier form, losing 6-1, 6-3 to Vekic in 66 minutes. Vekic, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, dropped only six points on her serve during the match.

Boulter reflected on her performance, stating, “I am not supposed to make the semi-finals of this tournament. This competition had an incredible line-up. My game is moving in the right direction. This week has been a great learning curve for me. It has given me a lot of belief knowing that I can beat a lot of good players on this surface. Wimbledon is another opportunity to do that.”

Raducanu will compete in the final on Sunday, 14 June, with the match available to watch live on the BBC, BBC digital services, and Tennis Channel.