After having showcased a stellar run in Miami, Emma Raducanu struggled a bit on the clay surface. However, she came back strongly, reaching the QF of the HSBC Championships, where she was defeated by China’s Qinwen Zheng. Following that defeat, the Brit faced yet another setback in Eastbourne. After her exit from the Eastbourne Open, Raducanu admitted that she needs to “get my head in the game” ahead of Wimbledon. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t get over the line today, but I can get some rest ahead of next week. I feel quite tired. Just going through some stuff, and I need to do my best to get my head in the game ahead of next week.” She will be keen to put up her A-game in her Home Slam, but as things stand, things are going to be challenging for the 2021 US Open champion. But why?

Through her draw at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, she faces Mimi Xu in the first round. Who is Xu, though? Well, Mingge Olivia “Mimi” Xu is a 17-year-old Welsh tennis player. She is a wildcard entrant at Wimbledon this year. Xu is, in fact, one of the three home teenage debutants in the women’s draw and is tasked with facing the British number one in her very first match. She couldn’t have asked for a better experience, right? In 2024, she made it to the QF of the Australian Open Junior, so she has the potential to deliver on bigger stages.

If Raducanu wins this match, she would face the former champion, Marketa Vondrousova, in the next round. The Czech had won the title in 2023 by defeating the Tunisian star, Ons Jabeur, by 6-4,6-4. Although she is currently ranked 73rd in the world, we must not forget that she recently won the Grass Court Championships in Berlin. It was her first final since winning Wimbledon in 2023 and also her first title in almost a two-year gap. Talking about her chances in Wimbledon, the former tennis pro, Sam Querrey, said, “I honestly think she is a top-five favorite to win Wimbledon right now.” Is she the favorite against Raducanu, though? Well, the Czech has a 2-1 record against the Brit!

Although being a former champion here will keep Vondrousova a little ahead in this contest, if Emma Raducanu should win this match, she would possibly cross paths with the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in the third round. Raducanu has met Sabalenka only once in her career, and it was a year ago at Indian Wells. The Brit lost that match by 3-6,5-7! Can she get the better of the Belarusian on her home soil? 

Winning the third-round match against Sabalenka would mean Raducanu could face Elina Svitolina in the fourth round. Svitolina has made massive strides since making her comeback on the Tour. She is currently ranked 14th in the world, and she has also won a title earlier this year at the Open de Rouen. Has she ever faced Raducanu, though? Yes, she did face her last year in Auckland, and not only did she face her, but Svitolina also secured a victory in a hard-fought three-setter. So, there are plenty of challenges lined up for Raducanu in this tournament.

In the QF, she could face the 2025 AO champion, Madison Keys. The American is currently ranked sixth in the world, and she has already won two titles, including the big one in Melbourne. Several tennis experts have already named her a favorite in this tournament, but has she ever faced Emma Raducanu in her career? Both these stars have yet to face each other on the Tour, so this will be quite an interesting contest to watch. Next up for her could be either last year’s finalist Jasmine Paolini or the Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng in the SF. Emma Raducanu has never faced Paolini in her career. Her face-off against Zheng in the QF of the 2025 HSBC Championships was her only meeting with the Chinese. Unfortunately for Raducanu, the Chinese won that match by 6-2,6-4. What if she overcomes all these hurdles?

In the final lies the greater challenge in the form of either Coco Gauff or Iga Swiatek. Gauff has recently secured her second major title at the 2025 Roland Garros, and she’s hungry for more, while Swiatek is still in search of her first title of this season. But having said that, her record against Raducanu has been absolutely phenomenal (5-0). Swiatek’s latest meeting with Raducanu came in the second round of the 2025 French Open, where she defeated the British star by 6-1,6-2. Even against Gauff, Emma Raducanu has yet to open her account (0-2).

Last year, tennis bigwig Mark Petchey made a very interesting comment about Raducanu. He said that he believes Raducanu will be a “multiple Grand Slam champion” and also described her as one of the best athletes on the Tour right now. Keeping herself fit has been the biggest challenge for Emma Raducanu over the last few years, but what do other experts think about her chances at Wimbledon?

Emma Raducanu’s chances at the 2025 Wimbledon analyzed by tennis stars

In November 2024, the 30-time wheelchair tennis Grand Slam champion, Alfie Hewett, said, “It’s possible that she (Emma Raducanu) could win Wimbledon one day.” He said that he believes Raducanu has all the ingredients in her game to succeed at SW19. But a quick glance at her record in this tournament, her best performance has been reaching the fourth round in 2021 and 2024.

Just a few weeks back, she had to withdraw her name from the Berlin Open due to a back injury. So, other than these formidable opponents at Wimbledon, keeping herself fit throughout the event is also going to be another challenge for Raducanu. No woman from British shores has ever lifted the Venus Rosewater dish since Virginia Wade in 1977. What are the chances for Emma Raducanu to re-create another historic moment for British tennis?

Well, in a recent interview, the 35-year-old British pro, Dan Evans, claimed, “I can see Emma maybe winning it. I think she is starting to get there on the grass.” On the other hand, former tennis player Sue Barker, called for a relaxation on the pressure put on Emma Raducanu by saying, “I think everyone expects too much from Emma. It was a fairytale, a fluke, whatever you want to say – a qualifier coming through to win a grand slam, it should be a Hollywood movie. And yet everyone thinks that because she’s done that, she’s now going to be top 10. It doesn’t work like that.”

Looking at the draw for the 2025 Wimbledon, how far do you see Emma Raducanu going in this tournament? Share your thoughts in the comment box.