Emma Raducanu continues to attract huge interest in the British media despite her exit from the US Open and her latest Instagram post has sparked fresh rumours about her private life.
Four years have passed since Raducanu shot to global prominence following her remarkable win at the US Open, as she came through qualifying and won a total of ten matches at Flushing Meadows to lift her maiden title in the professional ranks.
Raducanu has not reached a WTA Tour final since that incredible run in New York, but she is still one of the most talked about players in the game thanks to her huge fan base that is highlighted by her 2.9m followers on Instagram.
The British No 1 has enjoyed a surge in form in recent months and even though she was well beaten by Elena Rybakina in the third round of this year’s US Open, she has posted some joyous images of her time in New York.
Raducanu’s eagerness to show her fans behind the scenes in her world is proving to be more popular than the glut of sponsored posts she put on her Instagram feed following her US Open win and the British media didn’t take long to pick up on her latest post.
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Amid a big drop of images from her time in the ‘Big Apple’, a familiar face was captured alongside her at dinner tables around the city.
That face was Benjamin Heynold, who has been a regular around the Raducanu camp in recent months.
The British media have been quick to suggest the dashing Heynold is a little more than just a friend for Raducanu, after he was a regular presence in her player box during her grass court summer that included a run to the third round at Wimbledon.
He was also a constant companion in New York and it seems the duo will have much in common, as Heynold is a tennis player who has known Raducanu for some time as they played on the junior circuit together.
Raducanu has been sensibly cautious when divulging details on her private life, with gossip lovers spending too much time over the last few months linking Raducanu romantically with world No 2 men’s tennis star, Carlos Alcaraz.
The pair played together at the revamped mixed doubles US Open event prior to the main draw in New York, but she has insisted there is nothing more than friendship in their relationship.
She addressed interest in her private life in an interview with The Guardian earlier this month as she said: “I guess it comes with the territory, people being so curious. I think they’re more curious about this news than any tennis results and tennis news.
“But I just keep myself to myself, my private life to one side. It’s always amusing when people try to dig something up, but I try not to pay too much attention to it.”
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