Katie Boulter was unable to make it an all-British final at the Queen’s Club Championships this year.
Boulter picked up the best win of her career in terms of ranking over world number two Elena Rybakina in the Queen’s quarter-finals, but she was unable to back it up against Donna Vekic.
Although Boulter was unable to reach the Queen’s final, her compatriot and doubles partner for the tournament Raducanu has.
After losing to Vekic, Boulter was asked about Raducanu and she was full of praise for her fellow Brit.
Katie Boulter calls Emma Raducanu an ‘incredible player’
Boulter spoke in her post-match press conference after losing to Vekic, with Raducanu yet to reach the final at this stage.
Despite this, Boulter had every faith that she could not only reach the final, but go all the way and win the title, calling Raducanu ‘an incredible player’.
Will Emma Raducanu ever win another Grand Slam title?
“Yeah. I mean, look, I’m currently ranked 70 in the world. I am not supposed to make semi-finals of this tournament. If you look at the lineup, we had an incredible lineup,” said Boulter.
“I think, you know, someone like Emma, she’s an incredible player. We all know that. You know, I personally expect her to be at the back end of these tournaments. I have high regard for her. I think she should be there, and I think she’s a great grass court player, as well, and I think she’s got a great shot at winning it, obviously as long as her body is great.
“For me, yeah, what a fantastic week for both of us so far. I really hope she can go on and win the title. I’ll be rooting for her all the way.
“Yeah, what a great start to the first week on grass, having two British semifinalists. This is the one week in the grass season, obviously aside from Wimbledon, I really wanted to make a mark in. I love Nottingham. I love Eastbourne. Those tournaments are very close to my heart, but this was the one that I wanted this year.
“I feel like I gave it my best go, and yeah, I mean, it really just gives me the belief that I can come back here and win it one day.”
Who is the last British woman to win the Queen’s title?
Boulter will be backing her compatriot to make history at Queen’s this year, as Raducanu looks to become the first British woman to win the title in 57 years.
The Queen’s Club Championships returned to the WTA calendar for the first time in 52 years last year, and it has been even longer since a British woman won the singles title.
That came in 1969, when Ann-Haydon Jones beat fellow British player Winnie Shaw to claim the title.
Jones would then go on to win Wimbledon that year, which was her third and final Grand Slam singles title.
Raducanu will now be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jones, as she takes on Vekic in the Queen’s final.
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