Emma Raducanu Queens game suspended for ‘insane’ reason

Emma Raducanu has progressed to the final of Queens after beating American Iva Jovic in the semi-final just hours after her quarter-final had been suspended for an ‘insane’ reason.

The 23-year-old managed to overcome Jovic in just two sets to progress to the final of Queens, in which she will play Donna Vekic.

British hearts were broken by the Croatian as she ended hopes of an all-British affair in the final as she overcame Katie Boulter in the semi-final in two sets.

Raducanu will be feeling as though she has put her fitness concerns behind her after a tough start to 2026, which has seen her withdraw from several competitions.

There will have been concerns during the quarterfinal when she managed to beat Kamilla Rakhimova, as she suffered an injury during the match, but she overcame this and has now progressed to the final.

Yet, during this quarterfinal, there was a suspension in play when Raducanu was up 40-0 and serving in the fifth game in the first set; the match was paused for the Trooping the Colour spectacle.

This involved a series of aircraft flying directly overhead of Centre Court, capped off by the Red Arrows, which appeared to initially baffle the 23-year-old before her tune changed as she then looked pleased to have seen such a spectacle.

Speaking to the BBC after the victory, the 2021 US Open champion said: “It was insane.

“I couldn’t play with that. I was distracted and in awe of what was going on, and I think the crowd loved it, too.

“For me, I remember when I was younger watching them fly over, but to be watching them from this view at the Queen’s Club, I think it was a fun moment with the crowd, and I really enjoyed the interaction.”

Having reached the final of Queens, it means she has now bettered her best WTA Tour-level result on grass, the semi-final at Nottingham in 2024, and her semi-final run at Washington 2025, her career-best result at a WTA 500 event.

Her injury earlier in the quarterfinal appeared to have no impact on the semi-final and Raducanu would hope there is no significant impact on her fitness for the final on Sunday.

She said to the BBC: “I think right now it’s a mix of adrenaline, but it was tough to take that fall. I feel like I was in a pretty good spot in the match, and on grass these things can happen.”