Shiny, happy Raducanu storms into her biggest final since the 2021 US Open
Not a set dropped all week and her biggest final since New York in 2021: Emma Raducanu (No 42) beat Iva Jovic 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Queen’s final, where Donna Vekic awaits.
Emma Raducanu, Queen’s 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
Englishwoman Emma Raducanu reached the biggest final of her career since her 2021 US Open triumph on Saturday evening, brushing aside American sixth seed Iva Jovic 6-2, 6-2 to set up a title match against Croatian Donna Vekic at The HSBC Championships.
The performance was the most assured of a week in which Raducanu, ranked No 42, has not dropped a set. She broke early in each set against the 18-year-old Jovic and never surrendered the initiative, closing out a contest that lasted little more than an hour.
It was her second win over a top-20 opponent at the tournament and carried her into a first WTA 500 final – the third final of her career, her second of 2026, and the most significant since the night in New York that made her name.
Jenny Drummonf asked Emma on cuort: “Coming into this event you hadn’t won a match in a couple months. Now you’ve won four on the trot, two today, and you’ve beaten two top 20 players. What does that do to your self belief?” Emma: “thanks for reminding me about that stat! I think this week has been incredible. I’ve really enjoyed playing here and I think that really shows in my tennis and how I’ve been able to compete and stick out some really tough moments. It means everything making it to Sunday. I really hope you guys can come tomorrow and support for one more.”
me and my team over there who have really stuck through some tough moments in the last few months
“Of course, if you ask any player, especially any Brit, they’d love to lift the title here. But me and my team over there who have really stuck through some tough moments in the last few months where the results haven’t been going our way but we’re been putting in work day in and day out. I want to take this opportunity to also thank them for getting me to this situation.”
Two matches in one day
Raducanu’s route to the final has gathered momentum with each round. She opened with a thrashing of Russian Anna Blinkova (6-0, 6-3), then accounted for in-form Romanian seventh seed Sorana Cirstea (6-4, 6-2) and battled past Uzbek Kamilla Rakhimova (6-3, 7-5) in a testing quarter-final before her commanding dismissal of Jovic.
The American had arrived in the last four in form of her own, having upset second seed Amanda Anisimova (6-2, 3-6, 6-3) and beaten Filipino Alexandra Eala (6-2, 6-2) and Croatian Antonia Ruzic (6-3, 6-4), but found no foothold against a home favourite playing with conviction.
Vekic awaiting
Awaiting Raducanu in the final is Vekic, Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2024, who reached the title match by ending the run of fellow Briton Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-3 earlier on Saturday. The Croatian, ranked No 76, has been one of the stories of the week in her own right, working through Englishwoman Mika Stojsavljevic (6-2, 6-3), Czech Marie Bouzkova (7-6 (9), 6-3) and former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova (6-4, 4-6, 6-3) before her clinical defeat of Boulter.
Boulter’s exit closed a remarkable few days for the world No 73, who had produced the win of her career to topple top seed Elena Rybakina (7-5, 2-6, 6-4) in the quarter-finals, having earlier beaten Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (6-1, 6-3) and recovered from a set down against Canadian eighth seed Leylah Fernandez (3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5).
Against Vekic, though, she could not find the same level, and it was the Croatian who advanced to meet Raducanu for the title.
