Emma Raducanu, the British No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion, showcased her renewed focus and form, defeating 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-4 in the second round on July 2, 2025, to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the second time in her career. The victory, described by Raducanu as a result of being “really focused” in her post-match press conference, per *BBC Sport*, propelled her from No. 40 to a projected No. 36 in the live WTA Rankings, a significant boost as she defends 240 points from her 2024 fourth-round run, per *Tennis365.com*. Posts on X, like @TheTennisTalker and @RaducanuNews, celebrated her efficiency, noting her 6-3 first set and clutch performance against the former champion.
Raducanu’s match on Centre Court, completed in 1 hour and 35 minutes, saw her fire 27 winners and just nine unforced errors, leveraging an improved serve (four aces, 65% first-serve points won) honed with coach Mark Petchey, per *WTA Tennis*. Vondrousova, fresh off a Berlin WTA 500 title, struggled with 22 unforced errors, unable to counter Raducanu’s aggressive forehand, which won 55% of rallies under four shots, per *BBC Sport*. “I was really locked in today,” Raducanu said, echoing her Queen’s Club remarks, per *Telegraph*. The win avenged her 2024 Eastbourne loss to Vondrousova and built on her first-round 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mimi Xu, where she displayed a carefree demeanor, even picking up a champagne cork that landed on court, per *BBC Sport*.
With no points to defend post-Wimbledon 2024 due to prior injuries, Raducanu’s third-round appearance guarantees at least 130 points, pushing her closer to the top 30, per *Tennis365.com*. She next faces world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a formidable challenge after Sabalenka’s straight-sets win over Emina Bektas, per *The Guardian*. Raducanu, who lost to Sabalenka 6-3, 7-5 at Indian Wells 2025, remains optimistic, saying, “I’m ready to fight and make it competitive,” per *Tennis365.com*. Her recent top-10 wins over Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari in 2024 signal her growing confidence, per *WTA Tennis*. Despite a niggling back injury, Raducanu’s “free and expressive” style, praised at Queen’s, positions her for a potential rankings surge, per *BBC Sport*.
