- Emma Raducanu withdrew from the Berlin Open this week because of back pain
- The British No1 was spotted watching Carloz Alcaraz at Queen’s on Saturday
Emma Raducanu took a trip down to Queen’s Club on Saturday to watch her US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz.
The British No1 withdrew from the Berlin Open this week as she continues to manage back pain after a spasm.
She is due to compete in Eastbourne next week but before that was spotted on the Queen’s Club balcony with Myah Petchey, the daughter of her coach Mark, watching her friend Alcaraz beat fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 to reach the HSBC Championships final.
Earlier this week, the US Open revealed the partnerships for their revamp, $1million mixed doubles event in 2025. Among the more eye-catching pairings was one featuring two former US Open singles champions.
‘I was thinking that I couldn’t play better if it wasn’t with Emma,’ said Alcaraz earlier this week. ‘I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.’
‘She took a while (to respond),’ he joked. ‘No, not that much, not that much.
‘But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn’t a minute, so…’
‘She’s going to be the boss,’ the 22-year-old grinned after being asked how the pairing would work in practice.
‘The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunities to play mixed doubles. I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament.
‘I’ve known Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. So it’s just going to be interesting.
‘We are going to enjoy it for sure. I will try to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously, it’s going to be really, really fun.’
Raducanu has been drawn to face American Ann Li in the first round at Eastbourne, with a possible second-round clash with two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.
