Emma Raducanu came into the Queen’s Club Championships still feeling the aftershocks of back spasms. They had already bothered her before the French Open and during her appearance at the Strasbourg Open. But despite the rocky build-up, things are finally clicking for the 22-year-old. Her grass-court season kicked off in style with a commanding win over qualifier Cristina Bucșa. That was a big confidence boost. Then came a second-round faceoff with Rebecca Sramkova. Another challenge, another solid performance. With that win, Raducanu unlocked a milestone that’s been two years in the making.

Emma Raducanu handled the Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova with calm control, winning 6-4, 6-1 and cruising into the quarterfinals. Raducanu will officially become the British No.1 in women’s tennis again, a title she last held in June 2023. Back then, the former US Open champion was just coming out of surgeries on both wrists and her ankle. The long layoff had dropped her out of the top 300. But now, she’s world No. 35 in the live rankings and firmly back on top in Britain.

The ranking reshuffle comes as Katie Boulter, the current British No.1, bowed out of Queen’s after a tough three-setter. Boulter lost to fifth seed Diana Shnaider 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday, clearing the way for Raducanu’s return to the summit.

Raducanu and Boulter had teamed up for doubles this week too, showing off a bit of British girl power. The pair made it to the quarterfinals but lost to top seeds Erin Routliffe and Lyudmyla Kichenok on Wednesday. After her singles win, Raducanu scribbled a cheeky message on the camera lens: “Long live Boultercanu.”

That spirit showed again in her post-match interview. “Honestly, it was actually a real challenge for me today,” Raducanu said. “I’m not used to playing doubles. I lost the match yesterday and I was really upset. I really felt I was out of the tournament. So to get myself fired up for this one was really difficult. I’m really happy to get myself through this one. I really want to play with Katie again in the future. Maybe over the grass but for sure in the future.”

Meanwhile, Boulter has taken the demotion enthusiastically. She’s taking it all in stride. “It’s going to be fun for me to chase her now, and I think she’s been doing that for a while. Now it’s kind of my turn,” Boulter said.

With Boulter out, Raducanu stands as the last Brit left in the Queen’s singles draw. But she’s not alone on this journey.

Emma Raducanu reveals secret weapon she’s sharpening for grass

Emma Raducanu has two familiar faces backing her this week — Mark Petchey and Nick Cavaday. Petchey is working with her throughout the grass season, while Cavaday has rejoined her camp after stepping back earlier this year for health reasons. Raducanu and Cavaday had worked together for about 14 months until the end of the Australian Open in January. Their presence seems to be giving her the balance she’s been searching for.

And there’s been one more noticeable change, her serve. The 22-year-old’s serve has looked sharper all week, something she credits to changes made alongside Petchey. She explained, “I changed my action from a shorter action earlier on in the year. It’s a lot longer. I’m still kind of finding out the rhythm and the timing of it, because it is longer, which means, you know, I don’t have as much time with the ball toss. It’s balancing that.”

The 2021 US Open champ is still fine-tuning the timing, but the power and placement have already improved. That could make a big difference going forward. If Raducanu wins the Queen’s title, she could climb as high as No. 24 in the WTA rankings. That would be a huge deal, as it would likely earn her a seed at Wimbledon next month.

But for now, she’s keeping her eyes on the next hurdle. Emma Raducanu will face either Qinwen Zheng or McCartney Kessler in her quarterfinal match on Friday, June 13.

She’s back on grass, back in form, and back as Britain’s No.1. Is she also back in the title hunt?