Emma Raducanu has spoken about a boyfriend ban she had while growing up(Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis, Getty Images)
Tennis stars seemingly live a life of luxury, but there are certain aspects of the sport that can prove difficult, as Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray know all too well
Life as a top tennis player may appear luxurious, but the demanding lifestyle can come at a significant cost. Achieving success on the international stage requires more than talent – it takes an incredible amount of time and dedication to training.
As a result, elite tennis players face challenges in their private lives, sacrificing leisure activities and precious time with loved ones, while forging romantic connections can also prove difficult – something that Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray know all too well.
During an interview with The Sunday Times last year, Alcaraz acknowledged the pressures of maintaining a love life, saying: “I am single. I am looking for someone. It can be difficult as a tennis player to meet the right person because you are travelling all the time.”
Just a year earlier, he told Vogue: “It’s complicated, never staying in one place. It’s hard to find the person who can share things with you if you’re always in different parts of the world.”
Whether Alcaraz’s personal circumstances have since shifted remains to be seen, but the tennis pro has yet to go public with a relationship. British sensation Raducanu, meanwhile, told The Times about a boyfriend ban in her household during her formative years as a player.
She said: “My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training. When I was younger, I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girl friends. A lot of the time I was very resentful, but it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company.”
After reaching adulthood, Raducanu went public with her relationship with Carlo Agostinelli in 2023. Sadly, insiders told The Sun the next year that they had split and that the relationship had “run its course”.
