“It’s my favorite tournament so far and I’m so happy to get another match here,” a jubilant Emma Raducanu said on Monday after kicking off her Wimbledon campaign with a win. In an interesting matchupwith another British talent, Mingge Xu, the 2021 US Open winner managed to earn the victory in straight sets. While the 17-year-old showed her potential, she was no match for the 22-year-old Raducanu’s experience that she’s already acquired on grass. However, she will need to put all her efforts into the second round now. Especially after knowing that she will face a former Wimbledon queen who lifted the Ladies singles trophy just two years ago.
With a scorelineof 6-3, 6-3, Raducanu wrapped up her first-round battle in just 1 hour and 25 minutes. “I’m super pleased to come through that match—it’s so difficult to play another Brit first round,” she said, as reported by Wimbledon’s website on June 30. “I had some really good patches and then I had some moments where I lost my focus. I’m really happy how I toughed it out.”
But guess what? She will need to be even tougher on Wednesday. Why so? It’s because her next face-off is against Marketa Vondrousova. What makes her even more dangerous is the fact that she’s coming off a title win on grass recently. Last month, she bested China’s Xinyu Wang in the final to lift the Berlin Open trophy.
During her post-match interview, Raducanu was asked to react to her upcoming battle with Vondrousova. It seems the Brit is already getting nervous while trying to stay focused. The 22-year-old said, “She obviously won Berlin. Beat top players on the way to the title. So really difficult match. She’s obviously won Wimbledon. Amazing grass court player and amazing player in general. I think it’s gonna be a really difficult match. I’m gonna need to play very well to get over the line.”
When asked to reflect on the Czechian’s journey, marred by injuries just like her, Raducanu added, “I remember watching her when I was young make the French Open final. She was young there as well. Always seemed way above me and further ahead than me.” Citing how Vondrousova made a phenomenal return, after a crucial surgery, ahead of the 2023 Wimbledon, the Brit continued, “She had wrist surgery and came back and won Wimbledon, which is incredible. She’s a really, really talented player. We played earlier in the year in Abu Dhabi. I know she’s super tough, but it’s very difficult to maintain that top level after winning a slam. She’s really playing in form right now.”
Raducanu on facing Marketa Vondrousova next at Wimbledon:
Emma: “She obviously won Berlin. Beat top players on the way to the title. So really difficult match. She’s obviously won Wimbledon. Amazing grass court player and amazing player in general. I think it’s gonna be a really… pic.twitter.com/9e5Uk95W73
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 30, 2025
Now what makes things really interesting is the fact that Vondrousova also cleared her Wimbledon first round in the exact same time as Raducanu. The Czechian beat her American opponent McCartney Kessler in 1 hour and 25 minutes with a score line of 6-1, 7-6(3) on Monday.
Apart from Raducanu calling Vondrousova “super tough” and “very difficult” to overcome, a former ATP pro believes the Brit will crumble against the 2023 Wimbledon champion. And that there’s no chance for her to make a deep run this time.
Ex-ATP icon predicts early end to Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon journey
Emma Raducanu made her initial debut at the All England Club back in 2021. However, she couldn’t create a lasting impact after a fourth-round exit. In 2022, she was ousted in the second round itself. Speaking of her last appearance, in 2024, it was no different. After making it to the fourth round again, she lost against qualifier Lulu Sun. The latter beat her with a scorelineof 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
Few days back, 2003 US Open winner and ex-American player Andy Roddick revealed his Wimbledon predictions. So what did he think of Raducanu’s prospects? Well, unfortunately, she may not enjoy a long time at the All England Club. During an episode of his Served podcast, alongside tennis insider Jon Wertheim, Roddick revealed, “I have Marketa Vondrousova and Aryna Sabalenka in the third round.” Simply put, he is not hoping for Raducanu to beat an in-form Vondrousova in the second round.
Agreeing with him, Wertheim suggested that the Brit had no chance against the Czechian. “I have exactly the same. Raducanu at Wimbledon intrigues, but I don’t think she’s… that’s a rough draw. Asking her to beat a seed, perhaps a former champion—that’s brutal for Emma Raducanu.”
What makes things even worse is the past record between the two players. Currently, Vondrousova leads the H2H tally 2-1 against Raducanu. While she’s won their last two meetings (on clay and hard court), Raducanu clinched the maiden encounter back in 2021. And guess what? That match was on grass, at Wimbledon only. Plus, it was the second round battle, similar to what’s going to happen on Wednesday. Does this stat indicate any hope for the Brit? What are your thoughts on her prospects against the Czechian? Let us know in the comments below.
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