Emma Raducanu’s Queens match paused for a wild reason
Emma Raducanu has made it to the final of Queens after beating American Iva Jovic in the semi-final, just hours after her quarter-final was paused for a surprising reason.
The 23-year-old won in straight sets and will now face Donna Vekic in the final. Fans hoping for an all-British final were disappointed when Croatian Vekic beat Katie Boulter in her semi-final, also in two sets.
Emma seems to have put her fitness worries behind her after a tough start to 2026, where she had to pull out of several events. People were concerned during her quarterfinal against Kamilla Rakhimova after she got injured, but Emma pushed through and made it to the final.
The quarterfinal match was even stopped for a bit when Emma was leading 40-0 while serving in the fifth game of the first set. The pause was for the Trooping the Colour event, which included planes flying over Centre Court, finishing with the Red Arrows. Emma seemed a bit surprised at first but then enjoyed the unique moment.
After the match, Emma told the BBC, “It was crazy. I couldn’t really play with all that going on. I was distracted but amazed, and I think the crowd loved it too. I remember seeing the planes fly over when I was younger, but to see them from here at Queen’s Club was really special. It was a fun moment with the crowd, and I really enjoyed it.”
Reaching the final at Queens means she’s now improved on her best grass-court result, beating her semi-final runs at Nottingham in 2024 and Washington in 2025, which was her best at a WTA 500 event.
Her earlier injury didn’t seem to affect her performance in the semi-final, and Emma will hope it doesn’t hold her back in Sunday’s final. She told the BBC, “Right now, it’s a mix of adrenaline. It was tough to fall like that. I felt like I was playing well, and on grass these things can happen.”