On June 21, 2025, the Lexus Eastbourne Open draw revealed a daunting path for British No. 1 Emma Raducanu and other British players ahead of Wimbledon, per Express. Raducanu, seeded seventh at the WTA 250 event with a world ranking of No. 36, opens against American Ann Li (No. 65) in her first match on Monday or Tuesday at Devonshire Park, a first-time meeting, per Tennis365. A potential second-round clash awaits against two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur (No. 61) or rising star Maya Joint (No. 52), who won the Moroccan Open in May. Should Raducanu advance, a quarterfinal rematch looms with top seed and defending champion Daria Kasatkina (No. 16), who defeated her 6-2, 6-2 in 2024, per LTA. Raducanu, who reached the 2024 Eastbourne quarterfinals and notched her first top-10 win over Jessica Pegula, must also contend with dropping 108 ranking points from last year’s run, per Tennis365.
Other British women face equally grim routes. Harriet Dart meets reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova (No. 17) in the first round, while Sonay Kartal, fresh off upsetting Kasatkina at Queen’s, takes on former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko (No. 19). Jodie Burrage faces Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, and Francesca Jones plays a qualifier, per Tennis365. In the men’s draw, wildcard Dan Evans meets Miomir Kecmanovic, per Express. Raducanu, managing a lingering back injury since Strasbourg, prioritized recovery over Berlin to prepare for Wimbledon, starting June 30, per Jersey Evening Post. X posts, like @DExpress_Sport, labeled her draw a “nightmare,” while @TheTennisTalker, outlined the British contingent’s tough openers, per.
