Sunday June 14 crowned three champions on European grass. From London to Stuttgart via s-Hertogenbosch, the opening week of the grass-court season delivered its verdict and set the narrative two weeks out from Wimbledon.
In London, Emma Raducanu wrote the finest chapter of her comeback story. The Briton swept Donna Vekic 6-1, 6-2 in the HSBC Championships final at Queen's Club to claim her first WTA title since the 2021 US Open. Nearly five years of wrist and ankle surgeries, false dawns and rebuilding. Raducanu put it all behind her in 62 minutes of flawless tennis in front of her home crowd. Her run was remarkably solid, dropping just one set across five matches, with wins over Rakhimova and Jovic before this one-sided final.
In Stuttgart, Ben Shelton capped the most spectacular week of his career. The American beat Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 in the BOSS Open final for his maiden grass-court title. The stat that tells the whole story: Shelton trailed by a set in four of his five matches, including a semifinal where he saved two match points against Jiri Lehecka in a 30-point tiebreak. A warrior who refuses to lose, no matter the script.
In s-Hertogenbosch, Alex de Minaur confirmed his favouritism by winning the Libéma Open. The Australian world number six dispatched the surprise package Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Majchrzak, who had eliminated Daniil Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime during his miraculous run, could not find the resources for a third consecutive upset of a top-10 player. De Minaur, solid and methodical, gave the Pole nothing to work with.
These three finals send a clear message ahead of the All England Club. Raducanu is back at the top level and will arrive at Wimbledon with a title in her pocket and the confidence of a great week. Shelton has proved he can win on grass, even when all seems lost. De Minaur added another trophy to his collection and confirmed his consistency across all surfaces. The grass-court season has only just begun, but the first champions have already made their mark.
