Katie Boulter Responds to Emma Raducanu’s Queen’s Triumph as Wimbledon Doubles Hopes Fade
Katie Boulter, Britain’s No. 1 women’s tennis player, offered a gracious response after Emma Raducanu overtook her as the nation’s top-ranked player following Boulter’s second-round singles defeat at the Queen’s Club Championships on June 12, 2025. Boulter, who fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to No. 5 seed Diana Shnaider in the WTA 500 HSBC Championships, saw her nearly two-year reign as British No. 1 end, with Raducanu’s first-round win over Cristina Bucsa (6-1, 6-2) propelling her to No. 37 in the live WTA rankings, per www.express.co.uk. Raducanu’s surge, coupled with her scheduled second-round match against Rebecca Sramkova on June 12, solidified her return to the top British spot for the first time since her 2023 surgeries, per www.bbc.com.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2067928/Katie-Boulter-Emma-Raducanu-Queens-Wimbledon)[](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cd904yvwwz1o)
Boulter, reflecting on the ranking shift, remained focused on her own growth, telling Express.co.uk, “Tennis is a funny one… I’m not focused on necessarily [being No. 1]. I’m focused on keeping my ranking up where I want it to be,” per www.express.co.uk. She praised Raducanu’s progress, noting their “healthy competition” and strong friendship, saying, “It’s nice having something to chase… We have such a great relationship,” per www.bbc.com. Their camaraderie was evident in their doubles partnership at Queen’s, dubbed “Boultercanu,” though hopes of extending it to Wimbledon were dashed. After their 6-2, 7-5 doubles loss to top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe on June 11, Boulter quashed speculation, stating, “I’m not sure when, but at some point I’m sure we will [play again]. It’s not in the plans at the moment,” per www.express.co.uk.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2067928/Katie-Boulter-Emma-Raducanu-Queens-Wimbledon)[](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cd904yvwwz1o)[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2067928/Katie-Boulter-Emma-Raducanu-Queens-Wimbledon)
The ranking blow stemmed from Boulter’s loss of 250 points from her 2024 Nottingham title, which dropped her to world No. 34, exacerbated by the grass-court schedule change, per www.express.co.uk. Despite the setback, Boulter remained upbeat, saying, “I can swing free now my points are off… I’m excited to go out and enjoy my home tournament,” referring to her upcoming Nottingham Open defense, per www.express.co.uk. Raducanu, meanwhile, downplayed the ranking milestone, noting, “The tournament is still young, and Katie can go on a rip,” per www.bbc.com.[]
ascent, stating, “Official: Emma Raducanu is the new British #1,” while @sanalnly highlighted her potential to reach the top 25 with a Queen’s title, per @TennisPrintsGB, @sanalnly. Boulter’s focus now shifts to Nottingham and Wimbledon (June 30-July 13), where she aims to leverage her grass-court prowess, undeterred by the ranking shift and doubles rejection, per www.lta.org.uk.
