Emma Raducanu told Katie Boulter who would be calling the shots in their doubles match after renewing their “healthy competition” in the singles. The 22-year-old is locked in a battle with her countrywoman for the British No. 1 spot this week, but the pair are also playing doubles together at the Queen’s Club.

And by winning her opening singles match, Raducanu provisionally overtook Boulter in the live rankings. The world No.37 blitzed Cristina Bucsa 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour on the Andy Murray Arena on Tuesday, and she will be back to doubles on Wednesday. But Raducanu made it clear that she was still the underdog while on the same side of the net as Boulter.

Raducanu and Boulter had long hoped to team up in doubles, and they’ve finally done it on home soil at the new women’s event at Queen’s.

The pair, dubbed ‘Boultercanu’, got a 6-4 6-2 win over Wu Fang-Hsien and Jiang Xinyu on Monday, but it was back to singles competition on Tuesday as Boulter earned a gritty three-set win over Ajla Tomljanovic before Raducanu breezed past Bucsa.

If Raducanu can match or outdo Boulter’s singles results this week, she could reclaim the British No. 1 position for the first time in two years. And the former US Open winner is already ahead of her doubles partner in the live singles rankings.

But when asked whether that meant she would be the one making the calls in their next doubles match, Raducanu laughed and replied: “No, she still has more doubles experience, so she can still tell me what to do, and I try and execute like yesterday.”

Raducanu currently sits at No. 37 in the world - her highest ranking since the 2022 US Open, when she was the No. 11 before suffering a big drop when she failed to defend her title there.

In the live standings, Boulter is down at No. 38 and Raducanu is enjoying some healthy competition with her friend and British teammate.

“Well, I mean, the tournament is still young, and Katie can go on a rip this week, as well,” the 22-year-old said of the battle for the British No. 1 spot.

“Honestly, it's nice in a way having something to chase at 1, but we have such a great relationship that it's a very healthy competition.

“I think honestly, as a team right now, we are so strong with all of us doing well and all of us through to the second round pretty much. It really helps the Billie Jean King Cup having a strong one and two, especially. Me and Katie right now, at least, I think we really help the team in that way.

“I just know that I can trust her in those team situations, and those competitions, I actually put a lot of heart and emotion into. I'm really looking forward to playing it hopefully later in the year. Yeah, it's just a great environment, to be honest. It's a healthy competition.”

Raducanu and Boulter will face No. 1 seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe in the doubles quarter-final on Wednesday. And Raducanu will take plenty of confidence from her statement win over Bucsa, who beat her in Singapore earlier this year.

“When I saw her name in the draw, I was knowing that was going to be a difficult match,” Raducanu said of her clash with the Spanish world No. 112.

“I think that really focused me, and I was very, very sharp and wanted to get every point and score as many as I could, because I lost to her earlier in the year, and I know how tricky she can be.”