Emma Raducanu relaxed about British number one status after progress at Queen's
The 22-year-old will officially become number one on Monday after Katie Boulter bowed out with a 2-6 6-3 6-2 second-round defeat to Russian fifth seed Diana Shnaider, two years to the day since she supplanted 2021 US Open winner Raducanu.
And while she has played down her expectations ahead of this week, pointing to her ongoing back issues, Raducanu's win also ensured she would be the last Briton left standing in this new WTA 500 event boasting a £1million prize pot.
Emma Raducanu, right, shakes hands with Rebecca Sramkova after her last-16 win at Queen's Club (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
'It's nice (number one),' said Raducanu, who paired up with Boulter for the first time in the doubles earlier this week. 'But I wouldn't say it's the most important thing for me.
'Having Katie in front it was nice for me to have something to chase, and now I'm sure she's going to enjoy that with me. The grass season is still young and so is the rest of the season.
'We have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well, she wants to see me do well. It was nice to play doubles with her this week.'
The timing of this new tournament – the first time Queen's has hosted women's tennis in 52 years – means Boulter is down points because she won Nottingham last year in the same week, allowing Raducanu to leapfrog her for the time being.
Raducanu looked to be cruising after claiming her first break in the opening game before winning the following four.
Lifting each other up 🇬🇧❤️
Emma Raducanu reacts to becoming British No.1 again on Monday pic.twitter.com/A5G7PwHBIt
— LTA (@the_LTA) June 12, 2025
But Sramkova was determined to stay in it, saving two set points before breaking the Briton's serve in the sixth, eventually reducing the deficit to 5-4 before Raducanu regrouped, holding to love to seal the first set.
It was a similar story in the second as Raducanu swiftly sealed a double break then made it 4-0.
Then the Slovakian, four places lower on the WTA rankings than number 37 Raducanu, dug deep again, saving three break points in the fifth game to win her first of the set before the home favourite ensured she was a game away with a backhand to hold the sixth.
And while she could not close out the match at the first time of asking, Raducanu would not be denied again as another break sealed her place in the last eight – and a meeting with top seed Qinwen Zheng.
Raducanu, has – alongside Boulter – on more than one occasion found herself the target of stalkers. She welcomed the news that Wimbledon on Thursday affirmed athlete security was a top priority, though added 'whenever I've played at Wimbledon I felt very well protected, very safe.'
Katie Boulter was beaten by Diana Shnaider (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Boulter said she enjoyed 'some of the best grass court tennis I have played' in the first set but was undone again by her first serves in the next two, double-faulting nine times in the match.
She added: 'I'm very happy for (Raducanu) to be British number one but at the same time, it's going to be fun for me to chase her now, and I think she's been doing that for a while. Now it's kind of my turn.'
Briton Heather Watson also bowed out in the last 16 after she was beaten 6-4 6-2 by former Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
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