Carlos & Emma: Tennis’s Favorite Will-They-Won’t-They Is Just Good Friends — Or So They Say
After a year of joint campaigns, courtside sightings, and mixed doubles buzz, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu say they’re just friends. Fans aren’t convinced.
June 30 EST: Let’s just call it what it is: Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu are the closest thing tennis has to a rom-com duo right now. The setting? Wimbledon. The vibe? Sports meets soft-launch. The storyline? Just good friends — depending on who you ask.
And look, no one’s saying two photogenic, wildly talented 20-somethings can’t share a water brand campaign and a mixed-doubles partnership without falling in love. But also… have you seen the Evian photos?
From Centre Court to Center of Speculation
This all kicked off at Wimbledon 2024, when Raducanu was spotted in the crowd during Alcaraz’s championship match against Novak Djokovic. Cue the camera zoom. Cue the internet spiral. Cue Carlos, charming as ever, in the post-match presser:
“I don’t know… she came to see the final… I would definitely come [if it were in Murcia].”
Classic. Deflect with a smile, throw in a hometown joke. But fans — and the tabloids — clocked it. Suddenly, the hottest storyline in tennis wasn’t just about Grand Slams. It was about glances, grins, and shared hydration deals.
The Evian Era and Everything After
A few weeks later, the pair teamed up for a soft-drink ad campaign that looked like a deleted scene from Wimbledon (yes, the Paul Bettany one). Training together, arm around shoulder, matching post-workout glows — it wasn’t subtle.
By the time August rolled around, they were back on court together for mixed doubles exhibitions. Then came the announcement: Alcaraz and Raducanu would pair up for the 2025 US Open. If this were a Netflix docuseries, this would be the mid-season cliffhanger.
So… What Are They Actually Saying?
Despite the slow-burn energy of their public appearances, both have stuck to the same script. In an interview this month, Raducanu kept it simple:
“We’re just good friends.”
Carlos, for his part, has leaned into humor. When pressed in interviews, he’s offered variations on the “she came to watch the final, I guess?” line, always with a wink that somehow fuels more fanfic than it dispels.
Fans Want the Truth, the Whole Truth, or At Least a TikTok
The reaction online has been predictably unhinged — in the best way. Tennis Twitter is in a constant state of analysis: Is that a “friendly” look? Why did they fly to New York together? Was that double tap on Instagram accidental or intentional?
One body language expert told SportBible that Raducanu has “gone from 0 to 160,” and described their chemistry as “foundational for a romantic relationship.” Meanwhile, Reddit threads are begging the press to chill and “let them just play tennis.”
Still, the speculation hasn’t hurt their Q scores. If anything, it’s given their careers a little rom-com sparkle. Every time they’re photographed together — whether it’s courtside or campaign shoot — it turns into an event.
Why This Ship Hits Different
There’s something undeniably Gen Z about the way they’re handling all this. They’re media-literate. They’re in on the joke. They’re not giving you the big declaration or the hard denial. It’s a slow-burn, soft-focus maybe-relationship — the kind that plays better on Instagram than on Page Six.
Also, let’s be real: mixed doubles has never gotten this much attention.
Coming Soon: “Just Friends” at the US Open
All eyes will be on New York this August when Alcaraz and Raducanu hit the court as doubles partners. Win or lose, it’ll be a headline. And if they happen to laugh between points or fist-bump a little too sweetly? The internet’s already got the captions ready.
Until then, they’re keeping it friendly. But in the court of public opinion — and pop culture fantasy — they’re already the lead couple of tennis’s most slow-burn story yet.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
