Emma Raducanu has missed out on a chance to win her first title since her 2021 US Open triumph, falling to a 6-0 7-6 (8-6) defeat against Croatia's Donna Vekic in the Queen's final.
The 23-year-old Briton paid the price for a sluggish start, which saw her concede the first set in under 30 minutes. Vekic, ranked 76th in the world, cruised to the opening set with almost flawless groundstrokes, leaving Raducanu to struggle with fatigue and injury concerns.
Raducanu showed remarkable resilience to force a tie-break in the second set, but ultimately fell short despite saving three championship points. The British number one will take pride from an encouraging week on the British grass as she builds up towards Wimbledon.
Raducanu's season has been disrupted by a viral illness, limiting her to just six matches from early February up to Queen's. The ranking points she has earned in west London will push her up to the brink of the world's top 30, potentially securing a seeding at the All England Club.