Emma Raducanu Headlines Star-Studded WTA Queen’s Club Championships Entry List for 2025
The 2025 WTA Queen’s Club Championships, set to take place from June 9-15, 2025, marks the return of women’s tennis to the historic London venue for the first time in over 50 years, and the entry list is a blockbuster. Featuring six Grand Slam champions and four of the world’s top 10 players, the WTA 500 event promises fierce competition as players gear up for Wimbledon. Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, headlines the field as a wildcard recipient, joined by a stellar cast including Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka, Barbora Krejcikova, and Petra Kvitova. With a 28-player main draw—17 direct entrants, six qualifiers, and four wildcards—this tournament is poised to be a thrilling kickoff to the grass-court season.
Raducanu, ranked No. 47, enters with momentum from a strong 2025 clay season, including a career-first WTA 1000 quarter-final in Miami and a fourth-round run at the Italian Open, where she fell to Coco Gauff. Her grass-court pedigree, highlighted by a fourth-round Wimbledon appearance in 2021 as a wildcard, makes her a fan favorite at Queen’s Club. However, her potential opponents are formidable. Top seed Jessica Pegula (No. 4) brings consistency, while 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys (No. 6), a grass-court specialist with a 75% win rate on the surface, poses a major threat. Elena Rybakina (No. 7), the 2022 Wimbledon champion with a semi-final and quarter-final at Wimbledon in recent years, is another dangerous contender. Naomi Osaka (No. 56), a four-time Grand Slam champion, and Petra Kvitova (No. 607, special ranking), a two-time Wimbledon winner returning post-maternity, add star power, while reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova (No. 15) rounds out the Grand Slam winners.
Other notable entrants include Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng (No. 8), Emma Navarro (No. 9), and Karolina Muchova (No. 14), a 2023 French Open finalist. British No. 1 Katie Boulter (No. 35), another wildcard, joins Raducanu, bringing local support after her grass-court titles in Nottingham. The field also features Daria Kasatkina (No. 11), Amanda Anisimova (No. 16), Donna Vekic (No. 19), and Leylah Fernandez (No. 30), the 2021 US Open finalist, ensuring a deep and competitive draw. Laura Robson, the tournament director and former British No. 1, told *Tennis365*, “These women are some of the fiercest competitors on the WTA Tour, and with so many Grand Slam winners, the standard of tennis will be immense.”
Raducanu’s potential path is daunting. She could face Keys, who defeated her in straight sets at the 2024 Australian Open, or Rybakina, whose powerful game thrives on grass. Osaka, despite her hard-court dominance, is adapting to grass, as evidenced by her recent WTA 125K clay title in Saint-Malo. Kvitova’s experience and Krejcikova’s versatility make them tough draws, while Zheng’s recent win over Sabalenka in Rome adds intrigue. Fans on X, like @MSports_all, are buzzing, calling Raducanu’s inclusion a “reign supreme” moment, but her 1-10 record against top-eight players, including a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, highlights the challenge. As Raducanu aims for her first WTA title, per *Tennis365*, Queen’s Club offers a golden opportunity—and a gauntlet—on home soil.
