Emma Raducanu has officially reclaimed her spot at the top of the British tennis rankings, marking her return to the No. 1 position for the first time in two years since 2023.
As of Monday, Jun. 16, 2025, Raducanu has claimed the top spot in British tennis, overtaking fellow Brit Katie Boulter. Boulter had held the position for nearly two years, following her breakthrough WTA title win at the Lexus Nottingham Open in 2023.
Emma Raducanu Surpasses Katie Boulter To Reclaim Her Brit No. 1 Position
Raducanu’s first stint at the top came after her straight-sets victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the 2021 US Open final. That win earned her the No. 1 spot in the British rankings, a position she held for nearly two years, from September 2021 to June 2023.
After defeating Slovak tennis pro Rebecca Sramková in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, at the Queen’s Club Championship on Thursday, Jun. 12, Raducanu climbed above Boulter in the rankings. On the same day, Boulter bowed out of the WTA 500 tournament. She took the first set against Russia’s Diana Shnaider with a convincing 6-2 win but couldn’t keep the momentum going, dropping the next two sets 3-6, 2-6.
After their matches, Raducanu has moved up into the world’s top 40, rising one spot to 36th, while Boulter has dropped five places to 39th.
On Monday, Jun. 16, BBC Sport’s official X account shared the news as the young Brit rose to the top ranking. The post was captioned:
“It’s official Emma Raducanu is Britain’s no.1 for the first time in two years 👏”
It’s official 🇬🇧
Emma Raducanu is Britain’s no.1 for the first time in two years 👏 pic.twitter.com/pes4fcRJFN
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 16, 2025
Raducanu is set to miss out on key Wimbledon seeding benefits after making an early exit from the HSBC Championships, where she lost to Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals. Due to back issues, she will also not be competing in the upcoming Berlin Open.
Emma Raducanu Misses Major Seeding Benefits for 2025 Wimbledon
Raducanu was knocked out of the Queen’s Club Championship quarterfinals in straight sets by China’s Zheng Qinwen, 2-6, 4-6. After her exit, she was expected to compete in the WTA 500 tournament in Germany, scheduled for Jun. 16 to 22.
Her hopes of earning a seeded spot at Wimbledon were dashed after she withdrew from her next two scheduled tournaments in the upcoming weeks, the 2025 Berlin Tennis Open and the Nottingham Open, due to a recurring back issue that flared up again. During her match against Qinwen, she even had to take a medical timeout to manage the pain.
Although Raducanu won’t be competing in the Berlin Open, there’s hope she’ll play in another WTA 250 outdoor grass-court event in the United Kingdom. If her health allows, the 22-year-old Brit could take part in the 2025 Lexus Eastbourne Open, scheduled from Jun. 23 to 28, just ahead of the year’s third Grand Slam.
