Emma Raducanu is set to team up with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open mixed doubles in August, with the duo’s relationship continuing to be a hot topic
Emma Raducanu is claimed to be “besotted” with Carlos Alcaraz, according to a body language expert who analysed her recent revealing interview. The British tennis sensation is set to join forces with the two-time Wimbledon champion at the US Open mixed doubles tournament in August, a partnership that’s been making waves in the tennis world.
While there’s far from anything official to suggest a romantic link between the pair, whispers of a blossoming romance continue to heat up. In a recent BBC interview, the 22-year-old opened up about how their partnership came about and was quizzed about online chatter suggesting they’re “destined for each other”.
A giggling Raducanu responded: “I’m glad the internet is having fun and we’re providing some entertainment for everyone. We go back a long way and I think we both started getting to know each other a lot more in 2021.
“When I had that little run at Wimbledon, I think he won in five sets in the first round or something. And then all through the US Open, he had a big breakout win against Stef [Tsitsipas] in the third round but I was always trying to, like, join him in the next round because he was playing the day before me.
“Ever since, we’ve stayed in touch and he’s done so well since and continued winning. It’s been amazing to see because we were speaking and friends before anyone won anything.”
Speaking to OLBG, Stanton was struck by Raducanu’s reactions during her BBC interview as he said: “I think Emma Raducanu is besotted with Carlos Alcaraz. In her interview with the BBC, you can see that her face lights up and her pupils dilate.
“You can tell when her emotion shifts from speaking about general tennis to when she gets asked the question about what’s being said on the internet having fun on speculation. When she gets asked about the rumours, she shifts emotion because she starts to look down and left.
“Looking up is remembering general things and pictures as you’re trying to think, whereas when people look down and left, she’s accessing something called internal auditory dialogue. She goes from instantaneously answering to considering what she’s about to say very carefully. I’m not saying there’s a full-blown relationship going on but there’s one of two things.
“Either they’re very close and there could be something there down the line or it’s wishful thinking on her part, because there’s something that causes that emotional shift and it happens at the same time that she talks about general tennis, to then talking about him and their relationship.
“I don’t think it’s anything yet, so it could be a close friendship that could allude to something in the future, or she really loves the idea of those two being an item.”
As Wimbledon is set to begin this weekend, Alcaraz had the perfect warm-up by capturing victory at Queen’s on Sunday, defeating Jiri Lehecka in the final to claim his fifth title of the season.
On the other hand, Raducanu’s preparations were cut short as she was knocked out in the second round of the Lexus Eastbourne Open by Australian starlet Maya Joint on Wednesday.
Alcaraz has won the last two majors at the All England Club and could become the first men’s player since Roger Federer to claim three straight Wimbledon titles, which would take his Grand Slam tally to six.