Donna Vekić Has Lost Five Straight Finals, and Emma Raducanu Is Coming For Her First Title Since 2021

Alright, Seattle, listen up, because this isn't just another tennis match, it's a straight-up showdown with everything on the line! We've got the 2026 HSBC Championships final at Queen’s Club, London, and it's Emma Raducanu versus Donna Vekić. What's wild? Raducanu has literally not dropped a single set on her way to this final. Not one! And Vekić, a lucky loser, is looking to end a brutal five-final losing streak. You can feel the tension from across the pond. This is going to be epic!

Raducanu's Resurgence: From French Open Flop to Queen's Club Queen?

Can we talk about Emma Raducanu for a second? Seriously, who saw this coming? She's been a completely different player this week, blowing past everyone and making the final without dropping a set. This is the same player who got sent packing in the first round of the French Open. Talk about a glow-up! She notched two killer wins on Saturday, taking down Kamilla Rakhimova and Iva Jovic in straight sets, even while dealing with a nagging thigh issue. The grit, the resilience, it's all there. Her aggressive return game was absolutely overpowering in the semis against Jovic, and she's going to need every bit of that in the final. This is her second final of 2026, and after getting soundly beaten by Sorana Cîrstea at the Transylvania Open, you know she's hungry for this one. She's playing on the front foot, serving efficiently, avoiding errors, and defending like a champ.

Vekić's Path: Lucky Loser, Unlucky in Finals?

Now, let's talk about Donna Vekić. This woman has had a week straight out of a movie script. She was a lucky loser, for crying out loud, and now she's in the final! She stunned home favorite Katie Boulter in the semifinals with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory. Before that, she knocked off Karolína Plíšková and Marie Bouzková. That's using your experience right there, going from losing in qualifying to her sixth grass-court final. Vekić has serious big-match experience, we're talking Olympic silver medalist, Wimbledon semifinalist in 2024, and a Nottingham champion back in 2017. She's got powerful groundstrokes and absolutely loves the grass courts. But here's the kicker, the one thing that hangs over her: she's lost her last five title clashes, both on the WTA Tour and Challenger level. The pressure to finally break that streak has to be immense.

The Final Showdown: Who Wants It More?

This is their first meeting on the WTA Tour, so there's no head-to-head history to lean on. Raducanu has incredible momentum, not dropping a set all week, and she looks like she's ready to finally end that five-year title drought since her 2021 US Open triumph. The big question for her is that thigh injury. If she's at 100% fitness, she's got a real shot. For Vekić, the game plan has to be to try and exploit any lingering effects of that injury. Her powerful groundstrokes could dictate play and test Raducanu's movement. But honestly, the momentum, the energy, it all feels like it's with Raducanu right now. Our pick? Raducanu in three sets. Get ready, Seattle, this one's going to be a battle, and we'll be glued to the screen, cheering every single point!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.