Wimbledon may be just around the corner, but the prelude has already delivered a rollercoaster of emotions, injury drama, and youthful upsets. From Emma Raducanu’s patchy form to Barbora Krejcikova’s fitness scare, and the new-gen names making a racket across Europe, the grass-court swing is anything but predictable. And if this week’s chaos is any indication, SW19 might just be wilder than anyone expected.
Emma Raducanu runs out of steam in Eastbourne
After a gritty comeback in the first round, Emma Raducanu looked like she might finally be settling into rhythm. But just as quickly, she veered off course. The 22-year-old Brit fell to 19-year-old Maya Joint in a nerve-wracking 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) second-round match at Eastbourne. Raducanu clawed back from 5-2 down in the third to force a tie-break but couldn’t seal the deal.
Post-match, she admitted she needs to “get her head in the game” ahead of Wimbledon, a telling comment that echoes the frustrations of fans still waiting for a consistent spark since her 2021 US Open triumph.
Image courtesy – Imago
While Emma’s game flickered, the reigning champion’s campaign hit an even bigger snag.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova injured
Wimbledon champ Barbora Krejcikova has hit pause on her Eastbourne run, pulling out with a thigh injury just four days before she’s set to defend her crown at SW19. The Czech star had to dig deep in both her matches on the south coast, needing three sets to get past Brits Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage. She was due to take on France’s Varvara Gracheva in the quarterfinals but withdrew before the match even began.
“I’m very sorry to have to withdraw as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” said the 29-year-old. “I think it’s better with Wimbledon in the next couple of days just to rest it and to see what’s going on and to resolve that.”
It’s not exactly smooth sailing for the reigning queen of Centre Court. Krejcikova has played just six matches this year, still easing back into rhythm after a lengthy break for a back injury.
With Krejcikova taking a cautious step back, it was the young guns who seized center stage.
Learner Tien schools Ben Shelton in Mallorca masterclass
Learner Tien is giving top-10 players a lesson in how it’s done. On Wednesday at the Mallorca Championships, the 19-year-old stunned top seed and fellow American Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(2) to book his spot in the quarterfinals.
Down 1-4 in the second set, Tien showed nerves of steel and discipline beyond his years, flipping the script in just over 100 minutes. The stat sheet tells the story: he committed 16 fewer unforced errors than Shelton (22 to 38), which ultimately tilted the match in his favor.
This win marks Tien’s third Top 10 victory of the season, adding to his jaw-dropping victories over Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open and Alexander Zverev in Acapulco. He’s now the youngest player to defeat a Top 10 opponent on grass since Felix Auger-Aliassime took down Stefanos Tsitsipas at Queen’s back in 2019. Tien will face France’s Corentin Moutet in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.
And speaking on surprises on the grass.
Dan Evans stuns Tommy Paul under the Eastbourne sun
Dan Evans knows how to get the job done. The 34-year-old Brit held his nerve to knock out second seed Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in front of a buzzing home crowd at Eastbourne.
Evans, who was once a top-30 regular but had slipped outside the top 200 last year, is mounting a gritty comeback. With recent wins over Frances Tiafoe at Queen’s and Miomir Kecmanovic in round one here, the wildcard is suddenly looking like a real spoiler heading into Wimbledon.
He may not have matched Paul’s 31 winners, but Evans kept the unforced errors low and made his shots count. Next up: lucky loser Jenson Brooksby in the quarters. Could a semis berth be calling?
Meanwhile, across the Channel, another teen prodigy was reminding everyone why she’s the talk of the tour.
Mirra Andreeva claws her way to the Bad Homburg quarterfinal
After a rocky stretch on grass, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva is back in business. The Russian teenager bounced back from a set down to beat Clara Tauson 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 and reach her first career grass-court quarterfinal at the Bad Homburg Open.
Before this, Andreeva hadn’t won a match on grass all season. But after pushing Magdalena Frech to three sets in Berlin last week, it seems the pieces are starting to fall into place. Notably, this win also extended her head-to-head dominance over Tauson, whom she defeated earlier this year to win her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai.
Next, she’ll face 20-year-old Linda Noskova in a battle of rising stars, so you might want to keep your eyes on this one.
As the teens climbed higher, a pair of Grand Slam veterans quietly exited stage left at the same tournament.
Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka exit early in Bad Homburg
Wildcards Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka both started strong but couldn’t sustain their momentum in Germany. Azarenka bowed out after a spirited battle against French Open champ Iga Swiatek, who came back from 1-4 down in the first set to win 6-4, 6-4. That’s now five straight wins for the Pole over the Belarusian.
Osaka, meanwhile, was stopped by World No.10 Emma Navarro, who played a clean, precise match to win 6-4, 6-4. Despite Osaka’s solid performance, she couldn’t break into the Top 10 win column — something she hasn’t done since beating Jelena Ostapenko at last year’s US Open.
The grass-court season is already shaking up the hierarchy, proving that no one, not champions or prodigies immune to early stumbles or surprise surges. With Wimbledon looming, the stage is perfectly set for more drama, redemption arcs, and breakout moments.
Who will ride the momentum into Wimbledon?
The post Tennis Recap: Emma Raducannu’s Loss, Wimbledon Defending Champion’s Exit And More appeared first on EssentiallySports.
