Croatia’s Donna Vekic captured the Queen’s Club title on Sunday after overcoming Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-0, 7-6(6) in a gripping final, completing an impressive run that began as a lucky loser and ended with her first tournament victory since 2023.
Vekic, who failed to qualify before entering the main draw following another player’s withdrawal, delivered a dominant opening set before surviving a determined fightback from Raducanu in front of a partisan home crowd at the Andy Murray Arena. The Croatian eventually converted her fifth championship point to secure the title after nearly two hours of high-quality tennis.
“I’m off to have Pimms,” Vekic joked during her on-court interview after lifting the trophy.
The victory marked Vekic’s first career title on grass and continued her resurgence following an encouraging season that has restored her confidence ahead of Wimbledon.
The 29-year-old overwhelmed Raducanu from the opening game, striking clean winners from both wings and dictating rallies with aggressive baseline play. Raducanu struggled to find any rhythm as Vekic raced through the first set without conceding a game, leaving the British crowd stunned.
Despite the lopsided opening set, Raducanu regrouped impressively in the second. The former U.S. Open champion began serving more effectively, extended rallies and took greater control from the baseline to build a double-break advantage that appeared to force the match into a deciding set.
Vekic, however, refused to surrender. She recovered one break before holding serve from 0-30 down to remain within striking distance. The Croatian then broke Raducanu again after saving two set points, including one with a perfectly executed topspin lob that shifted momentum back in her favor.
The closing stages developed into a tense battle as both players showed signs of fatigue after a series of demanding baseline exchanges. Vekic earned three championship points while leading 6-5 but could not finish the contest, allowing Raducanu to force a tiebreak.
Raducanu again displayed remarkable resilience by saving another match point during the breaker, but Vekic continued applying pressure. The Croatian created one final opportunity with a blistering winner before sealing victory when Raducanu sent a forehand beyond the sideline.
“Winning 6-0 in the first set is sometimes a curse in tennis,” Vekic said. “Emma really stepped up and played some amazing tennis. I just tried to stay with her, make her play it out and stay with every single ball.”
Reflecting on the closing moments, Vekic admitted the finish came in a blur after such an intense contest.
“Her last service game and the tiebreak is a bit of a blur,” she said.
Raducanu, meanwhile, remained upbeat despite falling short of her first title since her memorable U.S. Open triumph as a teenage qualifier in 2021. The 22-year-old thanked the home supporters after reaching the final without dropping a set during the week.
“Today was a really tough match. Donna played extremely well from the start to the finish,” Raducanu said. “Thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also for helping me push back in that second set.”
The result nevertheless represents another encouraging step for Raducanu after an injury-disrupted campaign. Her run to the final is expected to lift her world ranking to No. 31, likely earning her a seeded position for Wimbledon.
Vekic is also projected to move up the rankings after beginning the tournament ranked No. 76. The Croatian is expected to rise to No. 32, continuing an impressive revival that included victories over British hopefuls Mika Stojsavljevic and Katie Boulter before defeating Raducanu in the championship match.
With Wimbledon just two weeks away, both finalists leave Queen’s Club with renewed confidence. Vekic arrives as one of the in-form grass-court players after lifting the biggest title of her season, while Raducanu demonstrated that she is once again capable of challenging elite opponents on her favorite surface.
 to win the Queen's Club title, capturing her first trophy since 2023 after a high-quality final ahead of Wimbledon.){kind=link}