Raducanu opened the grass-court season convincingly with a victory over Blinkova at Queen’s Club
Emma Raducanu opened the grass-court part of the season with one of her most convincing performances in recent months. In the first round of the WTA HSBC Championships at London’s Queen’s Club, on 9 June 2026, she defeated Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova 6:0, 6:3 and secured a place in the second round. According to the official announcement by the Lawn Tennis Association, Raducanu lost only six points in the first set, and in the second she broke her opponent’s serve three times, which clearly shows the level of control she had over the match. The victory is especially important for the 23-year-old British tennis player because, according to the same source, it was her first Tour victory in three months. Her appearance at Queen’s Club also came as an important response after a difficult period marked by health problems, a lack of matches and an early exit at Roland Garros.
A first set without losing a game and quick control of the rhythm
Raducanu entered the match extremely aggressively, but without any visible rush in the rallies. From the opening games, she imposed the depth of her shots, took the initiative early after the return and forced Blinkova into shots from uncomfortable positions. According to Sky Sports’ report, the first set lasted only 20 minutes, and Raducanu did not drop a single game in it. Such an outcome was not only the result of Blinkova’s weaker start to the match, but also a consequence of Raducanu’s concentration on the first shots after the serve and her ability to close points quickly on grass. Blinkova, who reached the main draw through qualifying, failed to find a stable pattern of play with which she could slow down the rhythm of the British tennis player.
In grass-court conditions, where the bounce of the ball remains low and where the first shots in a point are especially important, Raducanu looked more secure than during much of the season so far. Her flat shots and early contact with the ball fitted well with the surface on Andy Murray Arena, and the pressure on Blinkova’s second serve allowed her to dictate often from the return. According to the LTA, Raducanu gave her opponent only six points in the first set, which is a rare indicator of complete dominance at this level of competition. Such a statistic also shows that the match from the start went in a direction that suited Raducanu, but also that Blinkova failed to impose longer rallies in which she could change the dynamic.
Blinkova threatened in the second set, but without a comeback
The second set brought somewhat more resistance from the Russian tennis player. According to Sky Sports, after Raducanu’s early break, Blinkova managed to win her first game of the match, and then took advantage of a period in which the home favorite briefly lost her rhythm on serve. In one game, Raducanu made three consecutive double faults, which helped Blinkova get back to 3:3 and at least temporarily open up the question of the winner of the second set. However, that moment did not grow into a more serious comeback. Raducanu kept her composure, raised the quality of her return again and at 4:3 made the crucial break with which she took final control of the match.
That reaction was perhaps the most important detail of the match, because it showed that Raducanu did not depend only on her initial surge. After Blinkova managed to disrupt the rhythm and return to scoreline balance, Raducanu responded with clearer play in the decisive points. Instead of taking additional risks after the series of errors, she returned to simpler patterns, attacked the second serve and used the advantage that grass gives her when she takes the initiative first. The final few games therefore again looked like a continuation of the first set: Raducanu played more decisively, while Blinkova found it increasingly difficult to create opportunities to take control. The final 6:0, 6:3 reflects the difference in the quality of execution, but also Raducanu’s ability not to turn an uncomfortable moment in the second set into a longer crisis.
Raducanu satisfied with her approach and energy on court
After the match, Raducanu, according to the LTA’s announcement, pointed out that returning in front of the London crowd gave her a good feeling and that she was proud of her performance. She said that she started extremely well and that, despite the lack of matches played, she was satisfied that she played freely, with a lot of clarity and without overthinking. In a statement carried by the LTA and Sky Sports, she described the victory as a "good step forward" at the start of the grass-court season. She particularly emphasized her movement, body language and overall impression on court, and not only the technical level of her tennis. Such a statement is important because in recent seasons Raducanu has often been searching not only for continuity of results, but also for a feeling of stability in the competitive rhythm.
According to the LTA, after a shorter clay-court season Raducanu worked with Andrew Richardson, the coach with whom she collaborated during her historic US Open triumph in 2021. That partnership is again at the center of attention because that title in New York remains a key reference point in her career. Raducanu became a Grand Slam champion as a qualifier in 2021, and after that she faced high expectations, changes in her coaching team and a series of interruptions due to injuries. According to a Reuters report carried by CNA, the beginning of 2026 was difficult for her precisely because of health problems and illness that limited her time on court. Therefore, the victory over Blinkova has not only result-related value, but also symbolic weight at a moment when she is trying to return to a more stable competitive rhythm.
Queen’s Club again an important point in the women’s grass-court calendar
The HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club have a special place in the grass-court part of the season because they are played in London, ahead of Wimbledon, and bring together strong competition on a surface that often demands a different style of play than clay or hard courts. According to official WTA data, the 2026 edition is held from 8 to 14 June, is played on grass, has WTA 500 tournament status, a singles draw of 28 players and a total prize fund of 1.915 million US dollars. The WTA also states that Queen’s Club is hosting a tournament that returned to the women’s calendar at WTA 500 level after more than 50 years. This explains the additional attention around this tournament, but also the importance of a good start for players who want to find rhythm before Wimbledon.
According to the WTA’s preview ahead of the tournament, the draw included several big names, among them top seed Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Victoria Mboko, Belinda Bencic and Sorana Cîrstea, while Raducanu arrived in London as one of the most closely followed participants because of her status as a former Grand Slam champion and the home interest in her return to grass. In such a context, a convincing first-round performance does not guarantee a long run, but it gives Raducanu an initial impulse that is often decisive in the short grass-court season. For players who have had interruptions during the year because of injuries or illness, the first matches on grass can be a measure of readiness, because the surface quickly punishes delayed movement, an indecisive serve and weaker concentration on return.
The next challenge brings Sorana Cîrstea
Raducanu will play in the second round against seventh seed Sorana Cîrstea. According to Sky Sports, the Romanian tennis player secured her passage with a 6:4, 5:7, 6:2 victory over Maddison Inglis. That duel will be a significantly different test from the match with Blinkova, because Cîrstea has more experience in the rhythm of the main draw and enough power in her groundstrokes to punish shorter balls. According to the LTA, Raducanu and Cîrstea have already met, and their new match in London comes after the Romanian won earlier this year in the final of the tournament in Cluj. At the same time, the LTA recalls that Raducanu won their grass-court meeting at Wimbledon in 2021, which gives this encounter additional competitive background.
For Raducanu, the key will be to maintain the level of the first set against Blinkova, but with a more stable serve in moments when her opponent finds rhythm. Cîrstea is a player who can extend rallies, open the court with forehands and take advantage of every series of double faults or shorter second serves. Because of that, in the second round Raducanu will need to repeat her aggressiveness on return, but at the same time reduce the fluctuations that briefly complicated the match for her in the second set against Blinkova. The first-round victory showed that she moves well and that she is ready to attack on grass, but the next opponent profile should give a more precise answer to the question of how sustainable that progress is throughout the whole tournament.
The broader significance of the victory before Wimbledon
The grass-court season in professional tennis is short, so every match won in June has increased value. Wimbledon begins at the end of the month, and tournaments such as Queen’s Club serve both as preparation and as a check of current form against players who adapt quickly to the conditions. After winning the US Open in 2021, Raducanu has shown several times that faster surfaces suit her, but her continuity has often been disrupted by interruptions in the season. According to the Reuters report carried by CNA, injuries and illness limited her time on court earlier this year, and the defeat in the first round of Roland Garros further emphasized the need for a positive start on grass. For that reason, the London victory over Blinkova has a broader context than the mere fact that Raducanu advanced to the first round.
It is also important that Raducanu at Queen’s Club showed energy that in her statements was just as important as the result. According to the LTA, she spoke about enjoying the process, daily work and the desire to keep the same attitude throughout the grass-court season. Such statements do not change the fact that the season remains open and that form is confirmed by a series of matches, not by one victory. Still, after a period in which injuries, illness and a lack of matches were a constant topic, a straight-sets victory against a qualifier at the beginning of the grass-court part of the calendar represents the cleanest possible start. Raducanu thereby earned the opportunity to test against Cîrstea whether she can turn the good level from the first round into real momentum ahead of the most important tournament on grass.
Doubles defeat did not overshadow a successful singles performance
Raducanu also played doubles on the same day with Katie Boulter, but their path in the doubles competition ended already in the first round. According to Sky Sports, Boulter and Raducanu lost to Storm Hunter and Zhang Shuai 4:6, 6:3, 5:10 in the deciding match tie-break. That defeat did not change the basic impression of the day for Raducanu, because the central sporting signal was her singles performance and the way she controlled the match against Blinkova. Still, the additional time on court could have value in adapting to grass, especially because of work on reaction, volleys and quick transitions toward the net. In the short period before Wimbledon, every competitive hour on grass can help a player who is looking for rhythm after a changeable first part of the year.
Boulter, according to Sky Sports, also secured the second round in the singles competition with a victory over Leylah Fernandez, which additionally marked the London day. But Raducanu’s result against Blinkova remained one of the cleanest singles performances of the early phase of the tournament. In sporting terms, its value will not be measured only by the score of 6:0, 6:3, but by whether Raducanu can continue to play with the same clarity when the pressure rises, opponents become stronger and matches enter the closing stages. Queen’s Club opened the door to the second round for her in the best possible way, and now comes a test against a seed that should show how real the initial momentum is.
Sources:
- Lawn Tennis Association – report and statements after Emma Raducanu’s victory over Anna Blinkova at the HSBC Championships 2026. (link)
- WTA – official overview of The HSBC Championships 2026 tournament, data on tournament level, dates, surface, draw and prize fund (link)
- WTA – official results and draw of the Queen’s Club tournament 2026. (link)
- Sky Sports – report on the course of the Raducanu against Blinkova match, the next opponent and the doubles appearance (link)
- CNA / Reuters – context of Raducanu’s season, health problems and return to winning ways at Queen’s Club (link)