British tennis star Emma Raducanu has reacted after a photo of her kick-started rumours of a new boyfriend.
Raducanu, 23, first burst onto the scene back in 2021 when she won the US Open.
The Brit came through qualifying before clinching her maiden Grand Slam title without dropping a single set.
However, since her fairytale run at Flushing Meadows, Raducanu has failed to reach the same heights.
Advert
Over the last few years, the 23-year-old has battled multiple injury issues, but did enjoy a resurgence in 2025, rising back to number 29 in the world ranking.
Recently, Raducanu spoke out after a picture of her shared by a tabloid fuelled rumours of a new boyfriend.
She said to The Times: "What did creep me out was I saw a photo of myself [last week] in London, and I didn’t see the paps [paparazzi]. I was with my two best friends. It was some tabloid article saying I had a new boyfriend or whatever. But it’s literally my best friend’s brother.
"I was with my best friend’s brother, and we were going to the rugby. And of course, they cropped my best friend out. It was just me and this guy, and I just didn’t see the paps. So that’s obviously creepy."
Raducanu added: "You know, when you’re like: ‘I didn’t see them. How did they take this photo?’ But other than that, I feel good because someone’s always watching my back."
After putting an early stop to her 2025 season during the Asia swing, Raducanu recently spoke about her goals for 2026.
She said to the Daily Mail: "Francis (Roig, Emma Raducanu's coach) wants me to focus on building a better Emma Raducanu. I’ve always been more tactical, trying to exploit their weaknesses and be crafty. And it works, but the ideal is you don’t have to think too much about the other player: you can just go and execute your game.
"In terms of my weapons, I don’t necessarily have something that can blow someone off the court so I have to use my skill and my brain more."
Raducanu is set to start her 2026 campaign at the United Cup in Australia by teaming up with fellow Brit Jack Draper.
Topics: Emma Raducanu, Tennis
Marcus Chan