Barbora Krejcikova's preparations for defending her Wimbledon crown took a major blow as she suffered a surprise first-round exit at the Queen’s Club in London on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Czech star was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova in a stunning upset that casts doubt on her grass-court form heading into the 2025 Championships.

Krejcikova, currently ranked world number 17, claimed her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last year after an epic final win over Italy's Jasmine Paolini. However, her recent form has been far from ideal. She missed the Australian Open due to a back injury and exited the French Open and US Open in the second round.

The loss to world number 41 Sramkova at Queen’s continues that downward trend, raising alarms ahead of Wimbledon. Sramkova now advances to face Britain's Emma Raducanu in the second round.

Raducanu, ranked 37, began her grass-court season in style with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Despite persistent back spasms that have disrupted her 2025 season, the 2021 US Open champion looked sharp and focused. "I must say I was quite locked in today," Raducanu said after the win. "I was a little nervous at first, but the support was incredible. I just want to stay here and play as many matches as possible."

This year marks the return of women’s matches to the Queen’s Club for the first time since 1973, after 52 years of being an ATP-only event. The home crowd had more to cheer as British players Katie Boulter and Heather Watson also reached the second round.

Boulter edged past Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4 in a gritty three-set battle. Meanwhile, Watson upset world number 27 Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-3 to set up a high-profile clash with former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. As the road to Wimbledon continues, Krejcikova’s early exit sends a strong message that this grass-court season may be wide open.