Emma Raducanu seems to be enjoying life off the court, recently seen with a new companion.
The 23-year-old tennis star was spotted with 32-year-old PR professional John Friend in Battersea Park, London, where they were walking their dog and holding hands.
An eyewitness shared that the couple appeared carefree and absorbed in each other’s company. “Emma and the man seemed to have no care in the world as they meandered through the crowd,” the witness noted. “You wouldn’t have guessed she had just faced a tough defeat on the court.” It was almost as if all her prior disappointment vanished in their embrace, and they seemed unaware of others around them.
This moment came just hours after Raducanu’s loss to Donna Vekic in the WTA 500 HSBC Championship final, where she fell 6-0, 7-6 (6). Despite a challenging first set, she managed to save three championship points in the second set, forcing a tie-break and coming close to pushing the match to a deciding set before eventually losing to Vekic.
Raducanu entered the final feeling fatigued. Bad weather earlier in the tournament forced her to play two matches in one day, which led to her spending considerably more time on the court compared to Vekic.
Chasing her first trophy since her stunning victory at the 2021 US Open, she has her eyes set on Wimbledon, a tournament where she has reached the fourth round twice.
As she navigates a new relationship alongside her demanding schedule, Raducanu previously mentioned that her parents were concerned about her dating affecting her training.
Though she was once linked to Carlos Alcaraz due to fan speculation, her most recent relationship was with Carlo Agostinelli, whom she dated from 2023 to 2024.
