Fresh speculation about Emma Raducanu's love life has emerged after the former US Open champion was reportedly spotted sharing a romantic moment with a mystery man in London.
According to The Sun, the 23-year-old tennis star was seen spending time with PR executive John Friend, 32, in Battersea Park shortly after her appearance in the final of the Queen's Club Championships on Sunday.
The newspaper reports that Raducanu and Friend were photographed holding hands as they walked through the south London park before sharing a kiss while sitting together on a bench.
The reported outing came just hours after Raducanu suffered defeat in the Queen's Club final against Croatian star Donna Vekic. According to The Sun, one onlooker claimed the pair appeared completely at ease despite the disappointment of the day's result.
The source told the newspaper: "Emma and her man looked like they didn't have a care in the world as they meandered through the crowds. They looked besotted with one another."
While neither Raducanu nor Friend has publicly commented on the nature of their relationship, the reported sighting has fuelled speculation that the British tennis star may have found a new partner.
The Queen's Club final nevertheless represented another encouraging step forward in Raducanu's return to form as she continues her preparations for Wimbledon later this month. The British No.1 has previously spoken about the challenges of balancing relationships with the demands of professional tennis.
Speaking in the past about dating while pursuing her career, Raducanu said: "My parents were very much against it as it interfered with training."
The former US Open champion was previously linked to Carlo Agostinelli, with reports suggesting the pair dated between 2023 and 2024.
Raducanu is expected to continue her Wimbledon preparations in the coming days after her strong run at Queen's, which marked one of her most encouraging performances on the grass-court season so far.
