Emma Raducanu withdraws from tournament hours after losing Queen's final

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Nottingham Open just hours after losing the Queen's Club Championship final.The British No 1 performed brilliantly to reach the last two, but lost to Croatia's Donna Vekic 6-0, 7-6 (8-6).The 23-year-old reached her first final since her US Open success in 2021, stepping onto the court with strapping on her left leg.She has opted out of playing this week in Nottingham, giving her time to recover and be fully fit for Wimbledon. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Her run to the final, which saw Raducanu win two games in one day on Saturday, comes with its perks for Wimbledon.The 23-year-old has soared in the rankings and is now the world number 31.Raducanu's new ranking means she will now enter Wimbledon in a seeded position, meaning a more favourable draw will likely fall her way.The same goes for Vekic, who is now the world number 32, with the rest of the draw pleased not to have the two tough opponents in an unseeded position.LATEST SPORTS NEWSJurgen Klopp forced to issue apology on live TV at the World CupFifa to investigate official over use of 'white supremacy' gesture at World CupExpressVPN becomes first VPN to sponsor World Cup, and it's giving away 50 tickets to celebrateRaducanu was humble in defeat to Vekic, recognising the incredible run she had been on to reach the final.She said: It's been an incredible week for me, making the final here, playing in my home city, in my home tournament.The support I have received all week has been incredible, but I really want to take this opportunity to thank everyone.Today was a really tough match. Donna played extremely well from the start to the finish.So thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also for helping me push back in that second set.Raducanu continued: What a week for you, from qualifying all the way to the title. You played really well so all the best.Vekic responded with kind words of her own to Raducanu, saying: Wow, first of all, congrats Emma on such a great week. You are such an incredible player, and I wish you and your team all of the best for the remainder of the grass season.Growing up and watching the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having a chance to play at this amazing club.I am very grateful that since last year we have had the opportunity to play here as well.Thank you to everyone who made this happen. We really enjoy it.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter