Barbora Krejcikova Suffers Shock Early Exit at Queen’s Club as Emma Raducanu Impresses in Grass-Court Return
Barbora Krejcikova’s build-up to defending her Wimbledon crown took a major hit as the Czech star was surprisingly defeated by Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in the first round of the Queen’s Club tournament on Tuesday.
Krejcikova, who won her second Grand Slam title last year after a hard-fought three-set victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon, was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by world number 41 Sramkova. The loss continued a tough stretch for the 29-year-old since her triumph at the All England Club.
Since her Wimbledon victory, Krejcikova has faced setbacks including a second-round exit at the recent French Open and missing the Australian Open in January due to a back injury that sidelined her until May. She was also knocked out in the second round of the 2024 US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Sramkova’s reward is a second-round meeting with former US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Raducanu, the British star who captured the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier, made a strong start to her grass-court season by defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-2.
Before the tournament, Raducanu admitted she has been battling back spasms that have hampered much of her frustrating 2025 season. However, she appeared in excellent form on Tuesday, powering through her match in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Andy Murray Arena.
“I must say I was quite locked in today,” said Raducanu, ranked 37th in the world. “I’m very pleased with my performance. I was a little bit nervous at the beginning. It’s my first time playing on this court at Queen’s and the support is incredible. I just want to stay here playing as many matches as I possibly can.”
This year marks the first time women’s matches have been held at Queen’s Club since 1973, ending a 52-year stretch as a men-only ATP event. Alongside Raducanu, two other British players advanced to the second round.
Katie Boulter secured a 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic, while Heather Watson defeated world number 27 Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-3 to set up a match against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
