Donna Vekić’s fairytale run at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships ended in style, as the Croatian snapped her title drought with an impressive victory over home favorite Emma Raducanu in the final. Vekić’s performance drew admiration from across the tennis world, with Jessica Pegula and Chris Evert among those applauding her achievement.
How Jessica Pegula and Chris Evert Reacted to Donna Vekić’s Queen’s Club Victory
Vekić’s triumph at the Queen’s Club Championships is all the more remarkable because she nearly failed to reach the main draw of the WTA 500 event. After suffering a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Anna Blinkova in the final round of qualifiers, she was handed an unexpected lifeline when Marta Kostyuk withdrew from the tournament, allowing her entry as the lucky loser.
Vekić kicked off her campaign with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over Mika Stojsavljevic and defeated Marie Bouzková 7-6(9), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. She then survived a hard-fought battle against Karolína Plíšková, securing a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory. With a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Katie Boulter, the 29-year-old set up a blockbuster final against Emma Raducanu.
Although the Croatian made a commanding start to the battle by clinching the opening set 6-0, Raducanu looked poised to force a decider when she established a 5-2 lead in the second set. However, Vekić fended off two set points and mounted a stellar comeback to claim a 6-0, 7-6(6) victory, securing her fifth tour-level title and her first at the WTA 500 level. It was also her first title since triumphing at the 2023 Monterrey Open.
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Pegula was quick to send a heartfelt message to Vekić, celebrating her impressive triumph.
“She’s backkk congrats @donnavekic 👏🏻💎,” Pegula shared on her Instagram story.
Although Boulter fell short against Vekić in the semifinals, she graciously congratulated the 29-year-old on her victory. Chris Evert and Victoria Azarenka also shared warm messages for the Croatian.
“Way too good 👏🏻👏🏻,” Boulter commented.
“🙌🏆,” Pegula posted.
“great effort, Donna!❤️👍💪🏼💃,” Evert said.
“Idemo Donna ❤️❤️❤️,” Azarenka wrote.
Raducanu had also reserved words of praise for Vekić during her on-court interview with BBC Sport, saying, “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. What a week for you, from qualifying all the way to the title. You played really well, so all the best.”
Donna Vekić will now join No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula at the Berlin Tennis Open, though the Croatian faces a challenging path to the title. She is set to lock horns with Alexandra Eala in her opening match, with No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina awaiting the winner in the second round.
