HSBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 12, 2025

Emma Raducanu

Queens Club

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/R. Sramkova

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Emma, a solid win out there today. Give us your overall thoughts on the match.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm so happy with today's match to have got through. Not easy. Rebecca is really tricky to play because she can light up the court and take the racquet out of your hand for a few games and make some errors.

So it's very difficult to stay on the whole time, but I'm happy with how I could regroup in the first set and to come back. Yeah, I was pretty clinical in the second.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well done. What was the atmosphere like on court? It seemed like a pretty big noise when you won. Was pretty packed. If you talk about that and the event so far.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, the atmosphere here, the last matches I have played, singles, doubles, it's been amazing. Even for the doubles, there's full stands on a big court. It's really nice to feel the support, feel the love.

I love playing in moments like this with big crowds. Yeah, they are all supporting me, which is nice playing as a bit here. Yeah, I mean, it's been a really nice event at the HSBC Championships, and I'm so happy that the women have an event here.

Q. Do you like this venue?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I love it. I hope the tournament can stay here for longer.

Q. You're back at British No. 1. How important is that to you?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, it's nice, but I wouldn't say it's the most important thing for me. You know, I think having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase. Now I'm sure she's going to enjoy that with me. The grass season is still young, and so is the rest of the season.

But regardless, as I said earlier in the week, we have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well; she wants to see me do well. It was nice to also play doubles with her this week.

Yeah, I think we have a very strong team right now in the GB team. Me, Katie, Sonay, Heather, Fran. Everyone is doing well. Yeah, it's going to be a strong team for the end of the year in Shenzhen.

Q. You have obviously worked on your serve a lot. It's been good and I think really effective. Technically what has helped it to improve? What have you found has helped to improve your serve?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I changed my action from a shorter action earlier on in the year. It's a lot longer. I'm still kind of finding out the rhythm and the timing of it, because it is longer, which means, you know, I don't have as much time with the ball toss. It's balancing that.

But I think the more I practice it and do it every day, I think the more I will click into it. But I know this action has a higher potential and higher ceiling than the other one, so I think I need to stick with it for a bit.

Yeah, I'm happy to also get some good kind of payoffs from the work we have been doing on the grass courts where the courts are slightly faster and it takes the serves well.

Q. Wimbledon have said today their top priority is protecting players and security for everyone when the Championships start. That's for everyone. Do you welcome those calls to protect stars on the grounds?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, of course. I think feeling safe, feeling secure is extremely important. I think, you know, playing at home, there is heightened tension.

But for me, whenever I played at Wimbledon, I felt very well protected, very safe. I'm looking forward to going there, and I don't think, yeah, I will feel much of a difference.

Q. What are the positives of a longer motion? Is it power, rhythm? What do you get from it?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think, you know, as I set into it, I think in bigger moments, it's easier to kind of stay loose through it. Whereas the other one, if you're a little bit tense, tight, it's probably harder, because you're kind of manually lifting your arm up rather than it flowing with gravity.

So I think that's one benefit. I think the other is if I practice it more, I think I can probably get better trajectory and angles in the court. So, yeah, I'm working on that, but, I mean, I still think there is a long way to go on it.

Q. For Jack, this will be his first Wimbledon coming in as a huge star and loads of expectation. You have had that lots, but first I guess in '21 as you went through, and certainly in '22 coming back as a Grand Slam champion. How did you find that? Yeah, I guess, how do you think he will or what you would say to him to help manage that?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I know Jack is an incredible competitor, a great tennis player, and I think when he's out there in those moments on the court, all he's thinking or is seeing is that yellow tennis ball, and I think he shuts off the crowd and the pressure really well.

Yeah, I don't really know a fighter like him. He competes incredibly well. I think he will do just fine.

Q. How do you find it? Does it lift you? Is it an added pressure, the Wimbledon home crowd?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'm not sure. I think in the beginning before my first round here, I was very nervous, but as I kind of get out on the court and I see how much the crowd is pulling and how much enjoyment I'm also having out there, I think there are certain moments on the court when I'm smiling and it's just spontaneous and it comes out, and I think that is when I'm at my best.

But, yeah, it's definitely emphasized by playing here, and it's an amazing crowd, and, you know, the support, as well.

Q. You said in your previous match that you were sort of locked in and that was one of the reasons for the victory. How did you feel out there today?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think I was locked in at the start. I think I gave myself a really good lead and a good cushion. I wouldn't say it was my cleanest performance, to be honest, throughout, even in the second set, Love-40, just a couple second-serve returns I probably wouldn't usually miss.

But I think I was also gaining a lot of wins from taking the ball on, so I couldn't be too down on myself. The thing I'm most happy about is how I refocused after 5-Love to 5-4 in the first set and kind of came out in the second again.

Q. Yesterday in the doubles, it felt like as the match went on, you kind of became this solid brick wall at the net and nothing was getting past you, you were hitting winners. Did it feel like that for you? Do you feel like having that extra time on the match court is beneficial for you to try things like that out? Would you want to do it more in the future when the schedule allows?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I do want to play more doubles. I think I found it really difficult, to be honest, as I said on court, trying to turn it over. I'm, like, not used to losing and still being in the tournament. So that was really hard to get my mind around, and today kind of coming out and refocusing.

Yeah, it meant a lot to me, and I didn't want to let Katie down. I felt like maybe in the second I made a few errors, 3-All, drive volley, sudden-death deuce, those things kind of lived in my head a bit rent-free.

But I think the time I spent on the doubles court for sure helped me for my first round here, and I think it can improve my volley skills. Today I picked off a few great volleys, I wasn't really thinking, but it happened, like, naturally and it was instinctive, and that could have maybe been a part of playing some dubs.

Q. You mentioned on court how much the crowd helped you in that first set out there today. Last Brit in the singles. How much does their support help you going on? And a quick word on both of your potential opponents, whoever you may face tomorrow.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, Qinwen's obviously top 10 in the world, had an amazing year, great last couple of tournaments last few months on the tour, and I think she's very dangerous, top seed, definitely the favorite. But I think I have had two good matches here, and looking forward if it's her.

At the same time, McCartney, I have played her before. She's also very dangerous and loves the fast surface, plays very flat and low. Both will be a challenge.

Q. On the crowd, your support today, the last Brit left in now.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to going out there. The guys start next week, but for me, I'm just trying to stay as focused as I possibly can. Yeah, the crowd, hopefully they can pull for me tomorrow regardless of who I play.