'The new Emma' - positives Raducanu can take from Queen's to Wimbledon

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Vekic beats Raducanu in straight sets to win Queen's title

ByJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporter at Queen's

Published7 minutes ago

For the first time this week, Emma Raducanu sat on her chair and looked forlorn.

The British number one had finally succumbed to Croatia's Donna Vekic in a slow-burning Queen's final, unable to save a fifth Championship point and continue a match which she had admirably stoked into a scrap.

The 23-year-old has undoubtedly enjoyed a productive week at the quaint club nestled in the Victorian terraces of west London.

But missing out on a first WTA Tour title - and a first trophy since that unforgettable US Open victory in 2021 - still hurt.

"Right now it obviously really stings, so I'm just going to try and let myself feel it today - but try and get over it pretty quick," Raducanu said.

With Wimbledon around the corner, BBC Sport looks at the positives Raducanu can take from her encouraging start to the grass-court season.

Raducanu loses Queen's final as trophy wait continues
- Published4 hours ago

Playing with freedom on a surface that suits her game

When Raducanu dissected her French Open first-round exit just three weeks ago in Paris, things looked much bleaker.

Skipping the entire clay-court season had been a viable option, considering she had only played four matches in the previous three months because of a viral illness and its after-effects.

Instead, Raducanu felt the hours spent on the clay courts - getting time in her legs - would pay dividends when she returned to Britain for the grass season.

Crucially, it meant she did not have to make a standing start under the guidance of Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped Raducanu win the US Open and has been reappointed until the end of the season.

Raducanu has long been searching for freedom on the court, playing with a looseness which allows her natural game to flourish.

Over the past week at Queen's, Raducanu has found what she is looking for.

Raducanu reached the final without dropping a set and, while she ultimately came up short against Vekic, there was clear evidence of how the grass courts suit her.

Firstly, Raducanu's movement on the surface is natural and confident - unlike many of her peers who are brought up playing on clay and hard courts.

Secondly, the ball's tendency to have a lower, skiddier bounce on grass means Raducanu's serve and groundstrokes have more punch.

"I think I'm playing pretty freely, pretty aggressively, but finding the right balance," she said.

"I've been returning well, serving pretty well. It's important on grass."

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Raducanu thankful for "incredible support" after Queen's final loss

Another familiar face - and playing with a smile

Rehiring Richardson looks to have been a masterstroke.

Under his tuition she has played four tournaments - including the 2021 US Open and this year's Queen's - and won 14 of her 17 matches.

Richardson is an old-school coach who brings volume to create good habits - basically, hitting plenty of balls and putting in the hard yards.

Known as a 'gentle giant', Raducanu says Richardson also has a fiery side that ignites the competitive spark in her.

His messaging can sometimes be sparse, but the targeted input has an impact with a player who likes to be challenged by her coaches.

During the second set against Vekic, Richardson could be heard telling Raducanu to drive returns up the middle of the court - to drag her opponent into the longer duels that she did not relish.

It was a tactic which changed the complexion of the match.

"It's great to have him back. I think we have been working on this game style. The whole week I have been playing really, really good tennis and the brand of tennis that I really want to play," Raducanu said.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily the old Emma. I think it's the new Emma.

"You take all the lessons and experience, all the different ups and downs, and you take everything. You understand a lot more what's going on and what works for you."

Raducanu has shown she plays better when surrounded by long-time confidants who she trusts implicitly.

On home turf, with a swell of support from friends and fans, it has been striking how relaxed she has looked - and that has enabled her to play with the freedom she craves.

That has also been evident at Wimbledon where, aside from her fairytale in New York, she has produced the best Slam results of her career.

Emma Raducanu reacts to winning a point during her Queen's defeat by Donna Vekic

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Emma Raducanu has reached two WTA finals this year, despite a stop-start season disrupted by illness

Showing a resilience which many questioned

Questions have often been asked about Raducanu's spirit.

Has she got the heart for the fight? Is she resilient enough to come through tough situations?

This week she has shown she does possess that vital ingredient for any elite player.

The way she recovered in the second set against Vekic was another admirable example and a positive sign for the future - even though she ultimately faded.

"I managed to get myself back into the second set and I'm proud of how I fought," Raducanu said.

"That's not something that in the past years I have always done, so that's a positive."

Raducanu cannot be accused of having an easy path to the Queen's final, either.

She beat a pair of top-20 players in Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea and American teenager Iva Jovic on the way - and overcame an injury scare to win two matches on Saturday.

But this is only the first step

An injury-disrupted start, shoots of hope in the spring, a chastening clay swing, blooming on the British grass.

Rinse and repeat.

The past couple of years have broadly followed a similar pattern for Raducanu.

This season has, so far, fit the mould. Now Raducanu has to break it.

The next challenge is maintaining the level she has shown at Queen's - arguably her best tennis since that unfathomable US Open triumph - for a sustained stretch of time.

The momentum she has generated in west London is a huge step in the right direction with Wimbledon, which starts in a fortnight, fast approaching.

Since becoming a Grand Slam champion as a teenage qualifier, Raducanu has reached the second week of a major on just one other occasion - at Wimbledon two years ago.

The Grand Slam tournaments remain the barometer for success - at least in the eyes of a wider audience - and another deep run in front of a supportive home crowd at the All England Club would further elevate Raducanu's reputation.

"Going into Wimbledon you want as many matches on grass as possible. This week was great. I played five matches on grass," said Raducanu, who now looks unlikely to play the WTA event in Nottingham which starts on Monday.

"It has to be a positive. You take things that work, take things that didn't work, and apply it to when I play next."