As the tennis world shifts from the red clay of Roland Garros to the lush green courts of the grass season, all eyes are on Emma Raducanu, the 22-year-old British star whose meteoric rise continues to captivate fans. With the 2025 grass-court season fast approaching, Raducanu’s schedule is packed with high-stakes tournaments that could propel her back into the upper echelons of the WTA rankings and secure her a coveted seeding at Wimbledon, the sport’s most prestigious grass-court event. Currently ranked No. 37, Raducanu stands on the cusp of the top 32, a threshold that could see her seeded at the All England Club for the first time since her breakout 2021 season. Her journey promises to be a thrilling mix of ambition, resilience, and home-crowd support as she aims to build on her impressive 2024 grass-court campaign.
Raducanu’s 2025 grass-court swing kicks off with a debut at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club, a historic WTA 500 event returning to the women’s calendar after over 50 years. Scheduled for June 7-15, this tournament offers Raducanu a golden opportunity to compete against a star-studded field, including Grand Slam champions like Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, and Barbora Krejčíková, as well as British No. 1 Katie Boulter. “I can’t wait for the HSBC Championships,” said Keys, echoing the excitement surrounding the event. Raducanu, who received a wildcard entry, will relish the chance to play on home soil, where she has historically thrived. The higher points on offer at a WTA 500 event—108 for a quarter-final compared to 54 at a WTA 250—could significantly boost her ranking, especially as she has only 206 points to defend from last year’s grass season.
Following Queen’s, Raducanu heads to the Berlin Open from June 16-22, another WTA 500 event boasting a formidable lineup with nine of the WTA’s top 10 players, excluding only Iga Swiatek. This marks a strategic shift from her 2024 schedule, where she opted for the WTA 250 Nottingham Open, reaching the semi-finals before falling to Boulter. “Honestly, she’s practicing really well,” said Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist who trained with Raducanu in Nottingham last year. “I love how Emma plays, I love her personality and I honestly want to see her succeed.” The Berlin Open’s competitive field, including stars like Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, will test Raducanu’s grass-court prowess, but her ability to upset top players—evidenced by her 2024 victories over Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari—makes her a dark horse.
The grass season culminates at the Lexus Eastbourne Open from June 23-29, a combined WTA and ATP 250 event where Raducanu reached the quarter-finals in 2024, defeating Pegula before losing to eventual champion Daria Kasatkina. “I think today was really up there with the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court,” Raducanu said after her 2024 Wimbledon win over Sakkari, reflecting her love for grass. With a strong field including defending champion Kasatkina, Krejčíková, and rising British star Sonay Kartal, Eastbourne will be a critical final tune-up before Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13. Raducanu’s decision to play three grass-court events—two at the WTA 500 level—signals a bold approach to maximize ranking points and match practice.
Raducanu’s 2024 grass season set a high bar. At Nottingham, she won her first grass-court match in over 700 days, dominating 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour. “I’m very pleased to have come through that match but more just happy with how I was in myself,” she said, highlighting her mental resilience. At Wimbledon, she stormed to the fourth round, defeating ninth seed Sakkari 6-2, 6-3, marking her second top-10 win in nine days. Despite a third-set fall and a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 loss to qualifier Lulu Sun, Raducanu remained optimistic: “I feel good about things going forwards. I feel optimistic.” Her 446 points from last year’s grass season—130 from Nottingham, 100 from Eastbourne, and 216 from Wimbledon—mean she must perform strongly to maintain or improve her ranking.
To secure a Wimbledon seeding, Raducanu needs to crack the top 32 by June 30. Her current No. 37 ranking, bolstered by a fourth-round run at the Italian Open and a quarter-final at the 2025 Miami Open, positions her well, but consistency is key. A deep run at Queen’s or Berlin, where a semi-final could yield 195 points, could push her into seeding territory, especially if she avoids early upsets. “If she can stay healthy and competes a lot, the results will come because she’s that good,” said Tim Henman, a former British No. 1, emphasizing her potential. Raducanu’s grass-court game, with its skiddy slices and powerful double-handed backhand, is tailor-made for Wimbledon’s fast surfaces, and her 2021 US Open title as a qualifier proves her ability to shine under pressure.
Off the court, Raducanu faces challenges, including a recent stalker incident in Dubai and a sponsor fallout with Vodafone. Yet, her focus remains unwavering. With new fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura, who worked with Maria Sharapova, and potential coaching talks with Mark Petchey, Raducanu is building a robust support system. As she prepares for Queen’s, Berlin, and Eastbourne, the British star is poised to rekindle the magic of her 2021 Wimbledon run, where she reached the fourth round as a wildcard. With home support and a favorable schedule, Raducanu’s quest for a Wimbledon seeding—and perhaps a deeper run—promises to be one of the 2025 season’s most compelling storylines.
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