Vekic sweeps past Raducanu at Queen’s for first WTA 500 crown, first title since 2024

For the first time since 2024, Donna Vekic is a WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz champion. And for the first time in her career, the 29-year-old has claimed a title at the WTA 500 level, defeating home favorite Emma Raducanu 6-0, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour and 48 minutes on Sunday to win her fifth career singles crown at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.

"Growing up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having a chance to play on this court at this amazing club," Vekic said during the trophy presentation. "I'm very grateful that since last year we have an opportunity to play here as well. Thank you to everyone who made that happen. We really enjoy it."

Vekic won the first seven games of the match to take full control early, but Raducanu rode a wave of momentum to nearly claim the second set and force a decider. In the end, though, there was no denying the Croatian, who rallied from 5-2 down and came through in the second-set tiebreak.

She converted her fifth championship point to complete her journey from losing in the second round of qualifying to lifting the trophy on the grass in London. With the victory, Vekic became the sixth lucky loser, and the first since 2023, to win a WTA title. 

Here are the previous lucky-loser champions:

• Kay McDaniel (World No. 73) -- Atlanta, 1980
• Olga Danilovic (No. 187) -- Moscow International, 2018
• Coco Gauff (No. 110) -- Linz, 2019
• Maria Timofeeva (No. 246) -- Budapest, 2023
• Nao Hibino (No. 136) -- Prague, 2023
• Sara Sorribes Tormo (No. 95) -- Cleveland, 2023

Vekic is also the first lucky loser ever to win a title at the WTA 500 level or higher.

An unusual but effective path to the title

Donna Vekic lost to Anna Blinkova in straight sets in the final round of qualifying, the same Blinkova who then went on to lose to Raducanu 6-0, 6-3 in the first round. But after receiving the call that she would enter the main draw as a luck loser, Vekic made the most of her second chance.

She dropped just one set in the quarterfinals to Karolina Pliskova across five main-draw matches, taking out Mika Stojsavljevic, Marie Bouzkova, Katie Boulter and Raducanu in straight sets. For those keeping score at home, she indeed defeated three Brits en route to the title in London.

While luck got her into the main draw, it was skill that delivered Vekic the title, as she capped her run with a remarkable performance in the final. She finished the match with 32 winners to 25 unforced errors, inflicting damage off both wings, especially with the forehand.

In the middle of that inspired second-set rally, she saved two set points, the second with an absolute beauty of a lob that dropped just over Raducanu's head, before she closed out the win in the tiebreak.

Vekic bolsters already impressive grass résumé

Entering Sunday, Vekic had appeared in five grass-court finals and was widely recognized as one of the WTA Tour's strongest performers on the surface. But when it came to converting those finals into titles, she often came up just short, winning only one of her previous five.

That is no longer the case, as she becomes one of a handful of active players with multiple grass-court titles after her first came in Nottingham in 2017. She is also a former Wimbledon semifinalist, having come painstakingly close to reaching the final in 2024.

"This is really my favorite time of the year, my favorite surface," Vekic said. "I really made the most out of it this week and I'll see you all in two weeks at Wimbledon."

Speaking of Wimbledon, there's further good news for Vekic. After her run to the title, she is projected to rise 44 spots to No. 32 in the PIF WTA Rankings on Monday, putting her in prime position to secure a coveted Wimbledon seed.

'Sunday Funday' not so fun for Raducanu, but there are positives aplenty

The determination Raducanu showed in powering through a Saturday doubleheader just to reach the final should not be lost in Sunday's disappointment. 

Aside from reaching the Cluj-Napoca final in February, it had been a tumultuous season for the Brit before returning to home soil. Illness, injury and inconsistency had all plagued the former US Open champion. But between a reunion with coach Andrew Richardson, a key figure during her New York run, and the return to grass, Raducanu produced an inspired week in London.

She picked up her first two Top 20 wins in more than a year by defeating Sorana Cirstea and Iva Jovic en route to the championship match, and like Vekic, is due for a rankings boost on Monday. She is projected to jump to No. 31, one spot ahead of Vekic and, more importantly, into position for a potential Wimbledon seed.

Along with her improved form, Raducanu received massive fan support throughout the tournament and chose to focus on the positives rather than the sting of a runner-up finish.

"What a week," Raducanu said. "It's been an incredible week for me making the final here. Playing in my home city, my home tournament, where I feel the best. I mean, the support I've received all week has been incredible. So I really just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone.

"Today especially was a really tough match. Donna played extremely well from the start to the finish, so thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also helping me push back in that second set."