Carlos Alcaraz's true feelings on Emma Raducanu as he makes relationship admission
Carlos Alcaraz's true feelings on Emma Raducanu as he makes relationship admission
The tennis stars' new partnership has been announced after romance rumours swirled
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu have known each other for years
(Image: 2025 Getty Images )
Carlos Alcaraz has revealed he made a "special request" to be partnered with Emma Raducanu for the mixed doubles event at this year's US Open, but she kept him waiting.
On Monday, it was announced that the reigning Wimbledon champion would team up with Raducanu for the new-look competition in August as part of a star-studded line-up. While they are not guaranteed to qualify - with entries open until July 28 and only 16 teams making the cut - they are set to be the one of the biggest draws for attending fans if they make it through
They will now battle it out with other pairs - including Jack Draper with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and men's world number one Jannik Sinner with Emma Navarro - in a bid to take home the top prize of $1 million (£750,000).
French Open champion Alcaraz has now revealed how his partnership with Raducanu came about, as he opened up on the pair's relationship having known each other for many years.
"The tournament told us about the mixed tournament," the 22-year-old said after beating Adam Walton in the first round of the men's singles at Queen's. "I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma.
"I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request," he added before joking: "She took a while (to respond). No, not that much, not that much."
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Asked how the pairing would work on court, Alcaraz continued: "She's going to be the boss. The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunities to play mixed doubles. I'm super excited about it.
"I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament.
'I've known Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. So it's just going to be interesting," he added.
"We are going to enjoy it for sure. I will try to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously, it's going to be really, really fun."
Alcaraz and Raducanu have been paired together at the US Open
(Image: Kate McShane/ Luke Walker/ Getty Images for LTA )
It comes after romance rumours swirled around Raducanu and Alcaraz at Wimbledon last year, with the British star seen in attendance at Centre Court watching the Spaniard win his second successive SW19 title against Novak Djokovic.
While Alcaraz played down the suggestions of romance when asked why Raducanu was there, he teased that he wasn't sure if she "came to the finals or she came to see me," setting tongues wagging.
"I think Novak and I always put on a good game, a show on the court," he said after the final. "I think it is a beautiful game to watch. And [Raducanu] is from here, so I imagine that she wanted to come and see it.
"If there was a Grand Slam in Murcia, I would 100 per cent go to the final, even if I wasn't playing. I don't know if she came to the finals or if she came to see me! Who knows? You have to ask her, but I hope she enjoyed the final.'
However, the Spanish star, who has also previously been linked with sports marketing and law graduate Maria Gonzalez Gimenez and Spanish singer Ana Mena, has confirmed that he is single "but looking for someone".
"It can be difficult for a tennis player to meet the right person," he told the Molusco TV podcast. "Because they are always on the move. Who knows what will happen this year.
Asked if he was seeing anyone, Alcaraz added: "No, no, no commitments for now, I'm single. I've laughed several times with people close to me, when I discovered that three or four players got engaged during the winter break.
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"I thought it would be my turn, but not yet," he added. "It's complicated to never stay in the same place, it's difficult to find the person who can share things with you if you're always in different parts of the world."
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