Latest news with #Raducanu
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Carlos Alcaraz made his feelings very clear in response to Emma Raducanu rumours
Carlos Alcaraz has been romantically linked with British tennis star Emma Raducnau for some time but the two-time Wimbledon champion once moved to address the rumours Carlos Alcaraz will be licking his wounds after his dreams of clinching a third straight Wimbledon title were dashed on Sunday. The Spanish tennis star was beaten by his rival Jannik Sinner, who triumphed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to claim his maiden SW19 crown. Alcaraz is no doubt now experiencing a different vibe from the aftermath of last year's event. After winning the competition in 2024, he was spotted dancing the night away with women's champion Barbora Krejcikova at the annual Wimbledon Champions' Dinner, as is tradition. Yet, it wasn't their dance moves that sparked a media frenzy but rather Emma Raducanu's presence in the Centre Court stands as he dispatched Novak Djokovic for his second Wimbledon title. Alcaraz later found himself batting away whispers of a romance with the British star, who exited this year's tournament in the fourth round after a thrilling clash with Aryna Sabalenka. Despite the relentless rumour mill, Alcaraz brushed off any notion of love with a chuckle. When quizzed last summer about Raducanu attending the 2024 final, he played down its significance, saying: "I don't know, I don't know. I think a lot of people came to see the final. "I think Novak and I always put on a good game, a show on the court. I think it is a beautiful game to watch. And she 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 percent go to the final, even if I wasn't playing." But the Spaniard couldn't resist teasing, adding: "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." Despite Alcaraz maintaining they're merely friends, speculation continues to swirl around their blockbuster pairing ahead of the US Open. Tournament bosses have unveiled a glittering lineup for their two-day mixed doubles spectacle during 'Fan Week', with all focus now on the dream team featuring both former US Open winners. Alcaraz recently set tongues wagging when he confessed Raducanu "will be the boss" during their partnership. In a BBC chat at Wimbledon, the duo fielded questions about what they'd quiz each other on before heading to New York, reports the Express. "Ooh, good question," Raducanu said. "I would like to know how much of the court he can cover in New York." When posed the same query, Alcaraz burst into laughter before declaring: "I'm just going to serve and I'm gonna pull myself away and I let her play. She will cover a lot of the court. She will be the boss. I will do whatever she wants me to do." The tennis world was also sent into a top spin when Alcaraz let slip that he had made a "special request" to partner with Raducanu for the upcoming mixed event in August. "Yeah. I mean, the tournament told us about the tournament, the mixed tournament," Alcaraz told the media. "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." However, Raducanu didn't jump at the chance straight away, as Alcaraz, who has five Grand Slam titles under his belt, confessed she took her time before deciding to join forces. Raducanu later said: "Got to keep them on their toes! I mean, of course, I had to ask my team if they wanted me to play. But for me, when he asked me, I was going to say yes, I just had to kind of go through the formality of asking my coach, so I didn't just make the decision." During her pre-tournament press conference for this year's Wimbledon, Raducanu again faced questions about a potential romantic connection with Alcaraz after they were spotted filming a promo together at the All England Club. She concluded by stating she had a "good time" with him, adding: "We're just good friends."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Brit tennis star urges people to leave Emma Raducanu alone after Wimbledon loss
Emma Raducanu was defeated in the third round of Wimbledon by Aryna Sabalenka after a stellar run, and Dan Evans has urged people to let the British No. 3 be ahead of the US Open Former British No. 1 Dan Evans has urged fans to 'leave Emma Raducanu alone' following her encouraging Wimbledon campaign. The shock US Open champion reached the third round at SW19. Raducanu encountered a stern examination at the All England Club earlier this month when she took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The 22-year-old, who stunned the tennis world by claiming the US Open in 2021 as a qualifier, had already seen off former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova before her third-round clash. The British star fought courageously, going down in straight sets 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, with Evans now making a plea following this heartening display ahead of the upcoming US Open. "Emma should definitely take a lot from the Sabalenka match," Evans told Tennis365, when quizzed about the British No. 3's Wimbledon journey this year. "It was great to see her out there fighting the way she did and I thought she was the better player for long periods of that match against Sabalenka, who is the world No.1. "I'm interested to see what comes next for Emma. She is already back on the court working hard, and I think the summer in America is going to be good for her. "We always need to manage expectations a little around Emma, but let's leave her alone, let her enjoy playing tennis and she has a decent chance to do well heading into the US Open." The Big Apple was the backdrop for Raducanu's stunning triumph four years ago, as she powered through top-tier opponents like Belinda Bencic, Maria Sakkari and Leylah Fernandez to clinch the US Open title without dropping a set until the semi-finals. Since her meteoric rise, Raducanu has seen a revolving door of coaches, parting ways with Andrew Richardson just a fortnight after her US Open victory. As she gears up for a return to the prestigious tournament in August, she's yet to progress beyond the opening round since her historic win, reports the Express. The British tennis star's coaching situation remains uncertain. She's been with Mark Petchey sporadically since the Miami Open, and although he steered her to notable performances at Wimbledon, it's still up in the air if their partnership will persist beyond this competition. Evans, adding to his perspective on how Raducanu should be treated, hinted at a potential future in coaching once he puts down his racket. "Coaching is something I would look at," Evans confessed. "It depends on what opportunity came up and the idea of working with players and see that improvement might be interesting. "When you are working on the other side of the fence as a coach, you might argue it gives you even more satisfaction to see a player improving."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Emma Raducanu tumbles down world rankings with new British No.1 crowned
Emma Raducanu suffered an agonising defeat at Wimbledon this year as she was beaten by World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round and the British star has now slipped down the rankings as a result Emma Raducanu has tumbled down the tennis rankings after her third-round exit at Wimbledon - and has also lost her place as British No 1 in the process. Raducanu earned plaudits during her run at SW19 this year as she impressed in wins over Mingge Xu and Marketa Vondrouseva, but suffered a tough 7-6, 6-4 defeat to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The former US Open winner has now dropped down the rankings as a result, moving from No 40 to 45. That means she has not only conceded her British No 1 crown, but she is now only good enough for a place in the top three. Currently, Katie Boulter - who is World No 41 - and Sonay Kartal (No 44) are both ahead of her in the world rankings. Boulter stays above Raducanu despite exiting Wimbledon at an earlier stage - impressing with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 first round win over Paula Badosa before losing to Solana Sierra. Kartal, meanwhile, was the most successful out of the three as she reached the round of 16 after wins over Jelena Ostapenka, Viktoriya Tomova and Diane Parry before losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenko. Raducanu admitted her defeat to Sabalenka - who won both the Australian Open and US Open last year - was "hard to take" after fighting hard and going toe-to-toe with the world No 1. She held a set point in the opening set and had a break point at 5-1 up in the second set - but was powerless to stop Sabalenka battling back. 'It's hard to take a loss like that," she said during a tearful interview. "At the same time, I'm playing Aryna, who is a great champion. I have to be proud of my effort. "It does give me confidence because I think the problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top." Sabalenka was complimentary about Raducanu after their closely-fought clash, tipping her to return to the top level "soon". 'She's fighting," Sabalenka said. "She's playing much better. She's more consistent. I can see that mentally she's healthy. I think that's really important. I'm pretty sure she's getting there."
STV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
British tennis in healthy shape as attention turns to US hard-court swing
As the grass courts of Wimbledon are put to bed for another year, the annual audit of British tennis fortunes reveals a broadly positive picture. From a record number of home victories on the first day of the Championships to Cameron Norrie's quarter-final run and more home success in doubles, there was plenty for British fans to get excited about. Norrie and Sonay Kartal, who reached the fourth round for the first time, take top honours in singles, while Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool became the first all-British pair to claim the men's doubles trophy since 1936. There were first Wimbledon victories for the likes of Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones and Oliver Tarvet, whose run through qualifying was one of the feelgood stories of the fortnight, and teenage trio Mimi Xu, Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic all gained valuable experience. The major disappointment was that Jack Draper, having elevated himself into the world's top four, was such an early faller, losing in the second round to former finalist Marin Cilic. The draw was not kind, and Draper fronted up brilliantly, as he always does, recognising that the big improvements he has made on hard and clay courts have not yet translated to grass. Former British number one Greg Rusedski has no doubt he will get there, saying: 'No question about it. Jack is the best British player by far since Andy Murray, one of the most complete players. 'Give Cilic respect. He played great, he's been a finalist here, he won the US Open. For me, that wasn't a bad loss at all and Jack will be back strong. He's got a consistent team, he's willing to invest and the future's bright. He'll be deep in this tournament for many years to come.' A consistent team is something Emma Raducanu is still searching for, and the encouragement of her strong performance in defeat against Aryna Sabalenka was tempered by the fact she may be back to the drawing board again on the coaching front. Raducanu and Mark Petchey have clearly gelled but the latter's TV commitments make a full-time role impossible at the moment. Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong has worked with Raducanu on and off court, and said: 'It obviously is important and we've seen the positive impact Petch has had on her over the last few weeks. 'Equally, it's not that straightforward. Hopefully she's clearer than ever of what is required in terms of what kind of team she wants around her and she finds that. If they can find a way to make it work, then that would be brilliant.' There will be six British men and women in the world's top 60 on Monday and the target ahead of the US Open will be for the likes of Raducanu, Kartal, Norrie, Katie Boulter and Jacob Fearnley to try to climb into the seeded positions in New York. 'I think it's brilliant that we've got three women inside the top 50 and I hope they continue to push each other and the others take inspiration from what they're doing,' added Keothavong. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Wimbledon's memorable matches: Raducanu's thriller and Dimitrov's heartbreak
Here, the PA news agency looks back on five memorable matches from SW19. Third round – Aryna Sabalenka beat Emma Raducanu 7-6 (6) 6-4 Late-night drama under the roof on Centre Court has been in short supply since Andy Murray limped off into the sunset, but Raducanu reminded the tennis world what a special talent she is before a narrow loss to world number one Sabalenka. The 22-year-old played some electrifying tennis but was unable to apply the finishing touches, eventually going down in two tight sets after exactly two hours. The first set alone took 74 minutes, with Raducanu saving seven set points and creating one of her own, while she led 4-1 in the second before Sabalenka recovered. Fourth round – Jannik Sinner beat Grigor Dimitrov 3-6 5-7 2-2 ret A sliding doors moment as Dimitrov suffered Wimbledon heartbreak when he was on the verge of knocking out the world number one and eventual champion. The 34-year-old Bulgarian had won the first two sets and was playing some inspired tennis when, at 2-2 in the third, he clutched his chest after serving an ace. Sinner rushed around the net to check on his opponent as he sat, in some distress, on the court with a pectoral injury which forced him to retire, handing the Italian a major reprieve. Fourth round – Amanda Anisimova beat Linda Noskova 6-2 5-7 6-4 Back in the #Wimbledon quarter-finals 💪 Amanda Anisimova defeats Linda Noskova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2025 A tense third-set shoot-out between two players in form on the grass had spectators on Court One on the edge of their seats. Noskova broke first but Anisimova responded almost straight away and an ace for 2-3 proved the turning point for the American, who then reeled off 10 straight points to break and hold to love. Anisimova, the eventual runner-up, received a warning for racket abuse as her opponent drew level but then forced two match points on the Czech's serve and took the second, leaving Noskova throwing her racket in frustration after a high-quality two-hour battle. Fourth round – Cameron Norrie beat Nicolas Jarry 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-7 (7) 6-7 (5) 6-3 Norrie battled through to the quarter-finals to become the last Briton standing in singles after a five-set marathon low on quality but high on aggro. Chilean hot head Jarry was enraged at how long Norrie – who had a match point in the third set – was taking between first and second serve, pleading with the umpire 'He does it always. Do I have to suck it up?' He made his feelings even clearer after the four-and-a-half-hour contest as the pair had a heated exchange of views beneath the umpire's chair. Final – Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 After Anisimova's no-show in the women's final, Wimbledon needed something special from the men, and they delivered. Sinner and Alcaraz showed why they are one and two in the world with some fabulous rallies and outrageous shot-making. Alcaraz took the opening set with a stunning backhand winner on the stretch, but Sinner's level was more consistent throughout as the Italian got revenge for his defeat to his great rival in the French Open final last month.
