Raducanu opens up about ‘genuine connection’ with old friend Alcaraz | Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu says that her next mixed double partnership with Carlos Alcaraz is a reflection of the significant and friendly connection that the pair established when they rose the ranking at the start of their career.

“It’s nice and I think that for all of us, we really appreciate the connections we had when we were young,” said Raducanu. “Because when you become a little more known or a little more successful, you find yourself returning to people you know from an early age and because it is a real authentic link, because it becomes very busy and you have many more friends – but those you have known for a long time mean much more for you.”

Raducanu and Alcaraz, both 22 years old, will compete together in the US Open mixed double tournament in August, which was controversial this year to highlight the best players. The event will be played in a two-day rationalized format during the week before the United States Open. Raducanu says that they first got to know Wimbledon in 2021 and established a friendly connection during their respective races at the US Open that year.

“I remember he beat Stef [Tsitsipas] In the third round and it was like a big victory, his victory in small groups over a big scene and it was really cool to go through this tournament together. We still have a good relationship. It obviously exceeded me a lot, but it is good that we have this a while ago. “”

A few days after the announcement of their partnership, Raducanu chose to give an overview of Alcaraz to the Queen’s Club during his victory in the semi-finals against Roberto Bautista Agut.

“I saw really cool drop stoves and I said to myself:” Yes, will save part of that! ” But he has a lot of magic to bring to New York, “she said.

For the moment, Raducanu has more serious challenges on which to concentrate that a glorified exhibition event. Her solid start to the Grass season runs to the Queen’s Club, where she reached the quarter -finals and recovered as British No. 1, was embittered by other problems with back spasms, which have disturbed her many times this year. Raducanu withdrew from the Berlin Open last week.

“It’s good,” she said. “I always manage it, to be honest. I have good and bad days with it. I trained a little last week in London and it was good. I received a lot of treatment, then I woke up quite steep this weekend, I took a day off and I trained yesterday and today, but it needs a lot of work and it is from top to bottom. So I will try to manage it as best I can. ”

Raducanu, seeded n ° 7, will face Ann Li in the first round in Eastbourne, his last tournament before the start of Wimbledon next week.

She says she does everything she can to make sure she is in physical fit and forms for her biggest tournament of the year. “Needles, soft tissues, some muscle stimulation, recording, everything,” said Raducanu. “It’s just in class, but it’s okay. It seems to be ok today.”

Raducanu also thanked Wimbledon for stopping a man who had tracked her for buying tickets for this year’s tournament. The man attended four events featuring Raducanu in February and she was in tears when she saw him in the stands at the Dubai tennis championships. Last week, it appeared that his attempt to enter the SW19 ballot had been blocked.

“Wimbledon and everyone did an incredible job. I received a notification, the police contacted me and told me that everything was fine,” Raducanu told the BBC. “I know that I am not the first athlete to go through there, and I will probably not be the last – not only as an adhesive, but women in general.”

British n ° 5, Dan Evans, retaliated with a shoot to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round of the Eastbourne Open. The 35-year-old man, who received a joker for Wimbledon, triumphed 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 against the Serbian championship No. 49. He will face the second American seeded Tommy Paul-The 2023 finalist-during the second round. Evans, ranked 170 in the world, arrived at the Devonshire Park last week, the best victory for Grasscourt in his career with the victory against Viafoe’s victory, the victory of Grassfow Round at the Queen’s Club.

“While all the time I have left, it’s a work in progress,” he told the BBC. “Me and my coach worked hard on certain things, like everyone else, but sometimes it takes time.”

In the female draw, the British n ° 5 Fran Jones recorded a direct victory against the Belgian world n ° 70 Great Minnen. The 24-year-old participant increased 6-4, 7-5 in 1 h 48 minutes.