Annabel Croft has delivered her instant reaction to the news that Katie Boulter will no longer be the women’s British number one.
Emma Raducanu is set to take her place, and has done so without even playing a match.
After all, all it took was her compatriot to fail to beat Diana Shnaider, which she did earlier today, to put the wheels in motion.
Croft was sympathetic to Katie Boulter, naturally, but sought to look on the positive side.
Especially given this only reinforces the strength in depth that British tennis has at the moment, with an achievable goal for all British women to strive for.
Annabel Croft reacts to Katie Boulter losing British number-one spot
Croft, who was once British number one herself, was arguably the perfect pundit to deliver an immediate reaction to the news that emerged with Boulter’s loss.
Discussing Raducanu’s new rise to that top spot, she claimed: ‘Well, obviously, it’s going to be very, very disappointing [for Boulter], because she’s held that number one spot for a couple of years now. And on top of the loss today.
‘But you know, I suppose it gives her something to fight for, and with the Brits doing well, we’ve got Sonay Kartal coming up as well. There’s a group of them now that will all push each other to become better players. So obviously it’s disappointing.
‘The loss will be very, very disappointing, but, you know, I think for Boulter, she wants to get as many matches under her belt. She’s already had one good win here this week.
‘I think every time Boulter walks on court, I think she expects herself to win the big matches like that, but that would have been an upset and that would have been a big win for her today.’
It might be a little awkward now given Raducanu and Boulter hinted at playing doubles together at Wimbledon.
Emma Raducanu is flying up the rankings in 2025
It’s fair to say that, despite not setting the world alight, Raducanu has been solidly soaring up the rankings this year.
Heading into the Australian Open, the 22-year-old sat 60th in the world rankings, coming off the back of a tough 2024 which was once again littered with fitness issues and unpredictable form.
However, deciding to partner with Mark Petchey in March, the Brit’s strong run at the Miami Open propelled her up to 48th.
Continued steady results have aided since that progression, resulting in her current 37th spot in the live world rankings.
She will have a fair few points to defend at Wimbledon, but there’s quiet optimism that Raducanu could enjoy a strong grass-court season and even surpass that fourth-round run to put herself into a seeded spot ahead of the US Open.
