WTA stars Alexandra Eala and Emma Raducanu have both 2026 Wimbledon seeding after strong grass-court campaigns.
Eala claimed the No. 29 spot — her first ever Grand Slam seeding — while London native Raducanu sits at No. 30.
Alexandra Eala & Emma Raducanu See WTA Rankings Boosts
The two climbed the WTA rankings on the back of strong tour showings.
Eala reached the Berlin Open semifinals and won a WTA 125 title in Birmingham during a breakout stretch on grass. Raducanu, meanwhile, made the Queen's Club final in her only 2026 warm-up tournament before Wimbledon.
Both players enter with something to build on at the All England Club. Eala made her Wimbledon main-draw debut just last year, becoming the first Filipina in the Open era to compete at the tournament. She fell to former champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round, but showed she belonged at that level.
Raducanu has deeper roots on the grass. She reached the fourth round in her 2021 main-draw debut, matched that run in 2024, then fell to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round last year.
Because both players are seeded between 25 and 32, each is guaranteed to face a Top 8 third-round opponent. That path could produce early tests for the draw's higher seeds.
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Leads 2026 Wimbledon Field
Among that group are Sabalenka, who leads Wimbledon as the No. 1 seed, and Elena Rybakina, who follows at No. 2.
Defending champion Iga Świątek sits at No. 3, while Jessica Pegula rounds out the Top 4.
Emma Raducanu opened her 2026 grass-court season with a straight-sets win on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old beat Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova 6-0, 6-3 at the Queen's Club HSBC Championships, wrapping up the match in just one hour on Andy Murray Arena.
Raducanu Plots Grass-Court Comeback After French Open Loss
Raducanu entered the Queen's Club tournament coming off a first-round French Open loss alongside a bout with a post-viral illness. Prior to that, she similarly exited the 2026 Strasbourg Open in the opening round.
However, with former coach Andrew Richardson back in her corner, the Brit showed few signs of rust.
She played aggressive, front-foot tennis against Blinkova from the opening serve, and swept through the first set without dropping a game. And a brief rain delay at the HSBC Championships did little to slow her down.
How Emma Raducanu Fended Off Anna Blinkova’s 2nd-Set Charge
Wind picked up in the second set, helping Blinkova to find her footing. The Russian subsequently broke Raducanu's serve twice as the Brit struggled with double faults.
Still, Raducanu regrouped when it mattered. She earned a late break to go up 5-3, before converting her second match point to close out the win.
The former US Open champion reached the quarterfinals at Queen's Club last year, but she'll look to go deeper this time around.
Up next is a second-round match against Sorana Cirstea, who survived Maddison Inglis in a tough three-set HSBC Championships battle earlier today.
Emma Raducanu is moving on quickly from her early exit at Roland Garros, entering the grass-court stretch determined to find her rhythm at the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club this week..
Following a tough first-round loss at the 2026 French Open, the 23-year-old British star is ready to reset on home soil.
Emma Raducanu Emerges From a Tough 2026 WTA Season
A recent post-viral illness has disrupted much of Raducanu's 2026 WTA tour schedule so far.
She contracted the virus during a February tournament in Romania, subsequently withdrawing from several WTA events in the months that followed. By the time Raducanu arrived in Paris, match sharpness had become a concern.
She lost in straight sets to Argentina's Solana Sierra, committing 42 errors during the match. But the former US Open winner didn't dwell on the setback.
Raducanu told press she returned to the practice courts shortly after her loss at Roland Garros, determined to prepare for the faster grass surface.
"I found the next day pretty tough, and I knew the best thing for me to do was to try to get back on the court straight away just to nip it in the bud," Raducanu said.
Raducanu faces a qualifier in her opening singles match at Queen's Club, but she's also entered into the HSBC Championships doubles draw. There, she'll reunite with fellow Brit Katie Boulter after the pair enjoyed a successful partnership at the same venue last year.
Raducanu Rehires US Open Coach Andrew Richardson
Raducanu has additionally made changes off the court.
She recently rehired coach Andrew Richardson, the same coach that led her to her 2021 US Open title. The two split after that breakthrough WTA tournament, with Raducanu cycling through several coaches over the following four years.
"I think we just get on really well," Raducanu said of their renewed partnership. "He’s known me since I was young, I trust him. I believe in him and he believes in me."
Together, the two are working on Raducanu's aggressive, serve-and-return style that suits tennis's grass-court swing.
The HSBC Championships run from June 8th through June 21st at Queen's Club in London.
Emma Raducanu suffered a straight-sets defeat against Diane Parry at the 2026 Strasbourg Open on Tuesday, spoiling her highly anticipated return to competitive tennis.
The opening-round match marked Raducanu's first tournament appearance in more than two months following a lengthy battle with a post-viral illness.
Despite the on-court hiatus, the world No. 37 started strong, establishing a 4-2 lead in both sets. But service struggles hindered her momentum, and No. 94 Parry capitalized on her errors.
The French wildcard won four consecutive games to steal the first set, before outlasting Raducanu in a tense second-set tiebreak to secure the 6-4, 7-6 (4) upset victory.
Raducanu Reunites with US Open Coach Andrew Richardson
The tournament at Strasbourg also marked Raducanu's first official match since reuniting with coach Andrew Richardson. Richardson famously guided her to a historic 2021 US Open title before the pair split.
Although his vocal coaching from the player box failed to spark a win on Tuesday, Raducanu expressed satisfaction with her competitive spirit after the prolonged WTA battle.
"I think I played well in moments but, yeah, it’s been a long break since I've played a competitive match," Raducanu said post-match. "It's going take a little bit of time before I find my groove on the match court. I'm proud with how I fought and competed throughout the whole match."
Now, the British star looks to quickly regain her rhythm and sharpness on clay. She's heading directly to Paris for the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros this week, where she expects to compete as an unseeded player due to her recent WTA rankings drop.
The Madrid Open is moving forward without Emma Raducanu, as the British star withdrew from the tournament ahead of the 2026 clay-court event.
Raducanu's decision comes as she continues to manage her early-season schedule, prioritizing long-term health after dealing with post-viral symptoms from an illness picked up during February's Middle East swing. The 2026 Madrid Open — a key WTA 1000 event leading into the Paris Open — had previously been part of her planned buildup.
Instead, she will take more time before returning to competition.
The withdrawal comes during a challenging stretch. Raducanu has dealt with injuries and illness over the past year, limiting her ability to string together consistent appearances. She enters this phase of the WTA season with a 7-7 record in 2026 and has not competed since early March's Indian Wells, where she fell 6-1, 6-1 to Amanda Anisimova in the second round.
Skipping Madrid allows the 23-year-old a chance to reset physically while still targeting a return on clay.
The world No. 27 has shown signs of progress when healthy. The 2021 US Open champion played four clay events last season, highlighted by a fourth-round run in Rome. But that stretch also included recurring back issues in Strasbourg and after Roland Garros, reinforcing the need for careful scheduling.
Raducanu is expected to return later in the spring, with the Italian Open and Roland Garros remaining key targets.
If she doesn't, her absence would stretch to nearly three months — leaving her short on match play heading into the grass-court season.
How to Watch the 2026 Madrid Open This Week
The Madrid Open starts on Tuesday, with Raducanu among several notable 2026 withdrawals, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Sonay Kartal, and Barbora Krejcikova.
Coverage of the tournament airs live on the Tennis Channel.
Nike suffered another major tennis setback this week, as British star Emma Raducanu officially signed with Uniqlo for a reported $3.5 million annually over four years.
Uniqlo announced Raducanu as its newest Global Brand Ambassador, with the world No. 25 set to promote the brand's LifeWear philosophy both on and off the court. Raducanu will laos help design her on-court apparel and participate in community engagement programs for the Japanese brand.
The loss represents Nike's latest tennis departure in recent months. The retail giant previously lost England's Jack Draper to Vuori last August while US stars Frances Tiafoe left for lululemon and Taylor Fritz signed with BOSS.
The US brand continues to have top-ranked players under contract, including WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, while Japanese fan favorite Naomi Osaka remains the only Nike tennis athlete with a signature collection. Despite the effort, the numbers stand in stark contrast to Nike's dominance during the Serena Williams era.
Competitors have seized the opportunity to outperform Nike in the tennis space, as retailers across the industry now surpass the Oregon-based brand in on-court apparel design, marketing campaigns, and social media engagement.
Raducanu expressed excitement about her new partnership, noting that Uniqlo shares her values on life, culture, and society. The 2021 US Open champion will play an active role in Uniqlo's Next Generation Development Program, which provides coaching to young players.
Emma Raducanu withdrew from her Qatar Open first-round match Monday after trailing Camila Osorio in the third set. The exit comes just two days Raducanu lost the Transylvania Open final.
The British No. 1 called for medical attention during the deciding set, going on to have her blood pressure checked before retiring from the match. Raducanu won the opening set 6-2 in 38 minutes, but lost the second set 4-6 as her accuracy deteriorated.
Osorio broke Raducanu's serve at the start of the third set, with the 23-year-old immediately signaling for the physiotherapist. Following a lengthy discussion on court, she attempted to continue but lost the next game before walking to the net to end the match.
Raducanu is forced to retire at 6-2, 4-6, 0-2 vs Osorio in her Doha opener. 🤕
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 9, 2026
Wishing Emma a quick recovery ❤️🩹#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/u58wISD8oP
The retirement came just 48 hours after a taxing week in Romania. At the 2026 Transylvania Open, Raducanu battled through a near-three-hour-long semifinal against Oleksandra Oliynykova on Friday. She subsequently lost to Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 in Saturday's final.
Raducanu described the weekend final as extremely difficult, appearing visibly exhausted and requiring medical attention throughout the match.
Emma Raducanu feels the weight of a cramped WTA Tour schedule
The quick turnaround between tournaments proved challenging, with Raducanu first taking on world No. 80 Osorio. Osorio recently won a WTA Challenger event in Manila and maintained consistent pressure throughout this morning's showdown.
Raducanu endured another coaching change following her second-round Australian Open exit. She split with Francisco Roig after working together for six months, bringing on LTA coach Alexis Canter in his stead.
Despite Monday's exit, Raducanu climbed to No. 25 in the WTA rankings after her runner-up finish in Cluj-Napoca. The former US Open champion continues searching for her second career WTA title after breakthrough 2021 victory.
Oleksandra Oliynykova reached her first-career WTA semifinal today, defeating Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-4 at the 2026 Transylvania Open. Draped in the Ukrainian flag, the 25-year-old celebrated the victory wearing temporary bat face tattoos to honor the tournament's theme.
Oliynykova saved 20 of 22 break points during the two-hour match, demonstrating the mental resilience that's defined her breakthrough season. The world No. 91 is now expected to climb 20 spots in the WTA rankings.
Oleksandra Oliynykova, a Ukranian refuge, has been making headlines for refusing handshakes with Russian and Russia-sympathizing competitors. That list includesNo. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
This week, she announced she wouldn't participate in the traditional prematch photo or postmatch handshake with Hungary's Anna Bondar. Her reasoning? Bondar's participation in the 2022 North Palmyra Trophies tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia. Oliynykova subsequently called funder Gazprom a financial pillar of Russia's war machine, saying she would reconsider if Bondar apologized to Ukraine's people.
The victory carried deep significance for Oliynykova, who fled Ukraine with her family in 2011 after her father criticized then-President Viktor Yanukovych. She then returned following the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, and currently trains in Kyiv despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
Nicknamed "Sashka," Oliynykova is on a tear. She recently pushed defending champion Madison Keys to a first-set tiebreaker in her Grand Slam debut. She now stands just two victories away from her first-ever WTA title.
How to watch Oksana Oliynykova at the 2026 Transylvania Open semifinals
Oliynykova takes on top-seeded Emma Raducanu on Friday at 10 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
Word No. 30 Emma Raducanu is one match away from her first WTA final since her 2021 US Open upset, advancing to the Transylvania Open semifinals with a 6-0 6-4 victory over Poland's Maja Chwalinska.
Top-seeded Raducanu dominated from the opening point, limiting Chwalinska to just seven points in the first set. While the second set proved more competitive, Raducanu broke decisively at 3-3 following a Chwalinska double-fault. She subsequently served out the match with confidence.
Raducanu next faces Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova in Friday's semifinal, marking her fourth-career semis appearance. The 23-year-old British No. 1 hasn't dropped in Romania, demonstrating the aggressive style that secured her Grand Slam win nearly five years ago.
The 2026 Transylvania Open represents significant opportunity for Raducanu, after struggling with injuries and coaching instability. She recently split from coach Francisco Roig following a second-round Australian Open exit, marking her 10th coaching change in five years.
Despite the coaching carousel, Raducanu showed resilience in early rounds, mounting a comeback from 5-0 down against Kaja Juvan to win 13 of the final 14 games. That mental toughness could prove crucial as she pursues her first WTA title since 2021.
Russian-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova lurks in the opposite half of the draw, potentially awaiting a final rematch with Raducanu.
For now, however, Raducanu is focused on Oliynykova, as she seeks to extend her dominant bounce-back run at this year's Transylvania Open.
How to watch Emma Raducanu in the 2026 Transylvania Open semis
Emma Raducanu takes the court against Oleksandra Oliynykova in tomorrow's WTA 250 tournament semifinal, live on The Tennis Channel.
Emma Raducanu secured a dominant victory at the Transylvania Open on Monday, defeating Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-0, 6-4 in her first competitive match since parting ways with coach Francis Roig.
The 23-year-old UK star showcased confidence in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, dispatching her opponent in convincing fashion. Raducanu took the opening set in just 25 minutes, winning 90% of her first-serve points as she raced to a 6-0 bagel.
Raducanu hired Rafael Nadal's former coach last summer but announced plans to reassess her approach following last month's second-round Australian Open exit. The partnership lasted approximately six months, resulting in yet another coaching change since her breakthrough 2021 US Open title.
Working with former British professional Alexis Canter in Romania, Raducanu appeared relaxed and focused. She broke Minnen's serve in the third game of the second set and maintained control despite the Belgian's strong challenge.
"Very happy today. I think I played a great match from the beginning," the world No. 30 said after the match. "I was super aggressive and the crowd from the minute I walked out was incredible."
The victory marks a positive restart for Raducanu, after struggling with injuries and inconsistent form in recent years.
How to watch British tennis star Emma Raducanu this week
As the WTA 250 tournament's top seed, Raducanu next faces Slovenia's Kaja Juvan on Wednesday, live on The Tennis Channel.
Following the event, she plans to compete at WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai before heading to Indian Wells in March.