Emma Raducanu’s win over Iva Jovic yesterday marked one of her most impressive in recent memory, as she blew away this talented teenager with minimal fuss.
The 6-2, 6-2 scoreline was totally indicative of her dominance from the outset, as the world number 31 smothered her American opponent.
A win of that stature, and on a stage like that, would have garnered huge praise regardless.
However, the context behind it, and the fact it was her second match in just one day, makes it even more impressive.
Emma Raducanu shines whilst playing two matches in one day at Queen’s
Emma Raducanu is a player who has not been renowned for her physical prowess over the years.
If anything, her fitness has routinely let her down, and is almost certainly what has held her back from progressing.
Who will win the 2026 Queen’s final – Emma Raducanu or Donna Vekic?
Vote now!
With clear talent but torrid luck with injuries and illness, even 2026 has been ravaged by the latter.
Fortunately, the worst seems to finally be behind her, with yesterday’s impressive physical feat arguably proving that.
Raducanu’s biggest critique has been her penchant for missing tournaments, with casual fans seldom understanding the true struggles she has battled behind the scenes.
Well, if anyone had any doubts over her fitness, yesterday surely assuaged them.
That being said, Raducanu did provide an injury update ahead of the Queen’s final, having slipped on the grass during her quarter-final win over Kamilla Rakhimova.
What has Emma Raducanu said about her health issues this year?
If anyone is qualified to explain the physical struggles the 23-year-old has suffered over the years, it’s Raducanu.
After all, having suffered through surgery on both wrists and her ankle years ago, now it seems like her health has been the latest to fail her and prevent her from playing.
Even before the 2026 season had begun, she admitted to a new schedule plan: “I would say next year I hope to play less than I did this year, but I think also just incorporating into my warm-ups fitness, so it’s not just my fitness sessions which are set for it.”
Then, when that virus hit in Romania, it curtailed months of her season. Just before she withdrew from Rome, Raducanu revealed the extent of her struggles: “Post-viral, it’s quite hard.
At which Grand Slam is Emma Raducanu most likely to win a second major title? Let us know why below 👇
“You feel drained, you feel tired, no energy. It’s difficult, and it lingered for quite a while. Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m 100%. I’m still building my way back. It is difficult to then kind of maintain it.”
To have these kinds of symptoms, and have to play elite-level tennis against some of the fiercest sportspeople on the planet, must have been awful for Raducanu.
Fortunately, she certainly has not looked under the weather at all in Queen’s this week. She is now one win away from personal history.
