Emma Raducanu secures a place in the Queen's Club final with a convincing victory over Iva Jovic
Emma Raducanu reached the final of the WTA section of the HSBC Championships at London's Queen's Club after a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over American Iva Jovic in the semifinal played on Saturday, June 13, 2026. According to the tournament organizers' report, in her second match of the same day Raducanu produced one of her most stable performances on grass and controlled the rhythm against the sixth seed from beginning to end. The British tennis player thereby secured the first WTA 500-level final of her career and her first final on a grass court, while also confirming a week in which she has not lost a single set at Queen's Club. The 6-2, 6-2 scoreline reflects the difference in precision, movement, and aggression on return, while Jovic, according to the LTA report, had trouble with her foot during the first set and requested a medical timeout for additional bandaging. In the final, scheduled for Sunday, June 14, 2026, Raducanu is expected to play against Croatian tennis player Donna Vekić, who defeated Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Dominance from the start and control on grass
Raducanu entered the match against Jovic with the clear intention of shortening points and taking the initiative as early as possible. According to the official LTA report, her first significant separation came after two clean direct winners down the line, with which she earned a break and led 4-1 in the first set. Jovic tried to find a rhythm, but she was not able often enough to impose the first shot after the serve, which is especially important on grass because short exchanges often decide an entire game. Raducanu maintained a high level of movement, covered the space behind the baseline well, and regularly attacked the American player's second serve. She finished the first set on her own serve, and then continued at the same pace in the second, quickly taking a 2-0 lead.
Although Jovic managed to briefly respond with a break in the second set, that moment did not change the direction of the duel. The LTA states that the American tennis player's attempts to get back into the match ran into aggressive returns and stable shots from Raducanu on both sides. After Jovic again fell behind 1-4, a missed break point in the next game further reduced her chances of a comeback. Raducanu played the closing stages without visible nervousness and sealed the match and a place in the final with another break. Sky Sports noted in its report that Raducanu, despite the demanding schedule, looked fresh and athletically ready, which was especially important after an earlier warning of a possible injury in the quarterfinal.
Two matches in one day after a disrupted schedule
The run to the final gained additional weight because of the way Raducanu had to complete Saturday's program. According to LTA data, earlier that same day she defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinal, after the schedule on previous days had been affected by rain and weaker weather conditions in west London. That match was physically demanding and included a moment of concern when Raducanu slipped, but she later returned to the court for the semifinal without visible consequences. The organizer stated that against Jovic she showed more confidence than fatigue, and the player herself later emphasized that the double program had been a major physical challenge. Raducanu, according to the LTA, said she was proud of the way she had got through such a day with the help of her team.
In the broader context of the tournament, Saturday's outcome was a consequence of the compressed schedule that affected several players. The LTA had previously reported that the fourth day of competition in the women's section had been interrupted because of rain, so some tennis players had to play several matches in a short space of time. Donna Vekić had also earlier in the tournament taken advantage of her lucky loser status and advanced to the final stages after receiving a new opportunity in the main draw. Such conditions particularly emphasize the importance of recovery, adaptation, and short-term energy management, because grass leaves little room for a slow start to a match. In that part of the week, Raducanu showed that she can cope both with schedule changes and with the pressure of playing in front of a London crowd.
Jovic stopped after the biggest victory of her career
For Iva Jovic, the semifinal defeat does not erase a very successful week at Queen's Club. According to the WTA, the 18-year-old American beat second seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinal and thereby achieved her first victory over a player from the top five in the WTA rankings. Ahead of the semifinal, the WTA emphasized that Jovic is progressing increasingly strongly on grass, and the player herself said after the victory over Anisimova that she feels more confident on that surface with every match. Her London result fits into a season in which, according to the WTA, she had already had several deep runs and established herself among the highest-ranked young players on the Tour. Against Raducanu, however, she was unable to repeat the level of control from the previous rounds.
What she especially lacked was the ability to sustain pressure for longer after the opening shot. In the match against Anisimova, Jovic, according to the WTA report, managed to neutralize her opponent's powerful attacking style with fewer unforced errors and better decision-making in key moments. In the semifinal, the situation turned around: Raducanu did not give her enough rhythm, and on the second serve she often stepped inside the court and thereby took away time to prepare the next shot. The medical timeout because of her foot was not necessarily the only reason for the defeat, but it additionally complicated her performance against an opponent who had already developed a feel for the conditions after the earlier quarterfinal. For Jovic, the fact remains that in London she reached another significant result on grass, which will be an important indicator of her development ahead of the continuation of the season.
Queen's Club once again an important stage for women's tennis
The HSBC Championships at Queen's Club hold a special place in the grass-court part of the season because they are played in London, in the weeks preceding Wimbledon. According to official WTA data, the tournament in 2026 is being held from June 8 to 14, on grass, as a WTA 500 event with a singles draw of 28 players and a total financial commitment of 1,915,000 US dollars. The WTA states that the women's tournament returned to Queen's Club at WTA 500 level after more than 50 years, giving the London club additional importance in the calendar. The LTA highlights that the 2026 competition is being played over two weeks: the women's main tournament from June 8 to 14, and the men's main tournament from June 15 to 21. Such a structure gives the tournament the broader status of a joint ATP and WTA event, although the closing stages of the women's and men's sections are separated by weeks.
Queen's Club is traditionally connected with preparations for Wimbledon, but the return and strengthening of the women's tournament also opens a broader sporting context. According to the WTA, the club in West Kensington is known for a long history of grass-court tennis, and an event first played there as far back as 1889 is now once again gaining an important women's dimension. For players seeking competitive rhythm on grass, the WTA 500 level brings significant points, a strong draw, and an opportunity to test their style of play in conditions similar to those that follow at Wimbledon. Raducanu achieved a run of victories without losing a set in such an environment, including wins over Anna Blinkova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova, and Iva Jovic. According to the LTA's overview of the road to the final, her London streak includes results of 6-0, 6-3, then 6-4, 6-2, then 6-3, 7-5, and finally 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinal.
The final against Donna Vekić and the broader significance of the result
Raducanu will play against Donna Vekić in the final, and according to the LTA preview, it will be their first head-to-head meeting on the WTA Tour. Vekić reached the final with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Katie Boulter, and the LTA states that in that semifinal she lost only six points on her own serve. The Croatian tennis player competed at Queen's Club as a lucky loser, but she took advantage of the open path through the draw and in the process defeated Mika Stojsavljevic, Marie Bouzková, Karolína Plíšková, and Boulter. According to the LTA's final preview, Vekić was seeking her first WTA 500 title in London in 2026, while Raducanu was trying to win her first title since the 2021 US Open. The final duel is scheduled for Andy Murray Arena, and the official schedule lists the start at 13:30 British time.
For Raducanu, the result at Queen's Club is important also because of continuity after a period in which injuries, illnesses, and changes in form often interrupted her progress. The LTA conveyed her statement that reaching the final in London is highly emotional for her because she grew up there and because the support of the crowd means a great deal to her. In another statement, published after the victory over Jovic, Raducanu emphasized that she and her team had been working through difficult moments for months and that this result is a confirmation of that work. Sky Sports also highlighted in its report the renewed link with coach Andrew Richardson, who was part of her team during the period when she won the 2021 US Open. Such circumstances do not change the basic sporting fact that the semifinal was decided convincingly, but they help explain why the 6-2, 6-2 victory in London was experienced as one of the most important moments of her season.
The aggressive return as the key difference
One of the clearest elements of Raducanu's victory was the return, especially on Jovic's second serve. The LTA stated in its statistical review that during the week at Queen's Club Raducanu returned all second serves from inside the court, which shows how ready she was to attack early and shorten her opponents' time. In the semifinal, according to the same source, she was in an attacking position in a quarter of the points and converted attacking situations into won points more effectively. Such play is especially effective on grass, where the lower bounce and faster court reward players who take control first. Jovic tried to respond with aggression, but she was not able often enough to connect the serve, the first shot, and a stable continuation of the exchange.
Raducanu also managed to combine attack and discipline. She did not rely only on powerful shots, but used the width of the court and changes of direction to throw Jovic off balance. In moments when the American tried to increase the risk, Raducanu remained stable enough to withstand the initial pressure and then take over the rally. Such a combination explains why the result remained one-sided even after Jovic briefly threatened in the second set. In professional tennis on grass, the difference between 2-2 and 4-1 often arises in a few points, and Raducanu played precisely those moments with greater concentration.
The crowd and the London context without changing the sporting balance
The atmosphere at Queen's Club was strongly on Raducanu's side, which is expected given that it is a London tournament and a player who grew up in the capital of the United Kingdom. The LTA conveyed her words that the support at Queen's Club means "everything" to her and that the week was special because of the energy from the stands. Still, the flow of the match shows that the home environment was not a substitute for the quality of the performance, but an additional incentive for a player who had a tactical and physical answer to all the key challenges. On the court, Raducanu created an advantage by entering points early, moving well, and applying pressure to the second serve, and the crowd only amplified that advantage in the closing moments. For Jovic, it was a demanding experience in which she had to deal both with an opponent in high form and with an environment that clearly rewarded every attacking move by Raducanu.
The semifinal victory therefore carries several layers: in sporting terms, Raducanu outplayed the sixth seed; in competitive terms, she survived a double program in one day; and symbolically, she reached the final at one of the best-known grass-court tournaments in London. According to the available official information, the final against Donna Vekić represents her first appearance in a title match at WTA 500 level and her first final on grass. For Jovic, the week remains confirmation that she can cope with the top of the draw, despite a semifinal in which she did not find a solution. Queen's Club has thus received a final pairing that combines Raducanu's London story and Vekić's comeback through lucky loser status, and the semifinal against Jovic will be remembered as the match in which Raducanu most clearly showed how effective her grass-court game was during that week.
Sources:
- LTA – report on Emma Raducanu's victory over Iva Jovic and her place in the HSBC Championships final (link)
- LTA – results and daily updates from the 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen's Club (link)
- LTA – preview of the Emma Raducanu against Donna Vekić final and the players' road to the title match (link)
- WTA – official tournament overview of The HSBC Championships 2026, category, dates, surface, and basic information (link)
- WTA – report on Iva Jovic's victory over Amanda Anisimova and the context of her grass-court performance (link)
- Sky Sports – report on the semifinals at Queen's Club and Raducanu's place in the final (link)