‘Obviously creepy’ – Emma Raducanu hits out at boyfriend claim as she enjoys off-season

British tennis star Emma Raducanu has returned serve after a picture shared by a tabloid fuelled rumours of a boyfriend.

In an interview with The Times, Raducanu expressed her shock at how the picture surfaced given she did not see any paparazzi in her immediate vicinity.

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Raducanu reacts to ‘creepy’ photo saga

“What did creep me out was I saw a photo of myself [last week] in London, and I didn’t see the paps [paparazzi],” Raducanu said.

“I was with my two best friends. It was some tabloid article saying I had a new boyfriend or whatever. But it’s literally my best friend’s brother.

“I was with my best friend’s brother, and we were going to the rugby. And of course, they cropped my best friend out. It was just me and this guy, and I just didn’t see the paps. So that’s obviously creepy.

“You know, when you’re like: ‘I didn’t see them. How did they take this photo?’ But other than that, I feel good because someone’s always watching my back.”

What else has Raducanu got up to in the off-season?

Along with catching the England rugby team in action, part of Raducanu’s time away from the court involved giving a talk to Steve Borthwick’s side ahead of their remarkable 33-19 win over the All Blacks.

As part of the former US Open champion’s visit, she kicked a ball around with Marcus Smith, participated in line-out drills and spoke with England captain Maro Itoje.

“Emma was talking to the players and sharing her experiences about preparing for the elite level of competition, which is terrific,” Borthwick said.

“People like her are always very welcome because we learn a lot and the players enjoy learning from others’ experience.”

Aside from rubbing shoulders with England’s rugby stars, Raducanu has spent part of her off-season returning to her roots in the southeast London suburb of Bromley.

“I’ve barely been in the UK this year because I’ve been competing so much, but I think just spending really good quality time with my parents has been so nice. I have loved being in Bromley,” Raducanu said.

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“It reminds me of when I was a younger kid, and it’s the same bedroom, same everything.

“Bromley has some amazing speciality coffee shops now. A few years ago, that didn’t exist, but now it is the place for coffee and I’ve been trying every new spot.”

While in Bromley, Raducanu has looked to improve her language skills by learning French and Spanish.

Luckily for the British talent, she’s been able to put her French and Spanish vocab to the test courtesy of her coach Francisco Roig and chiropractor Jerome Poupel, who are Spanish and French respectively.

“I think it helps me big time,” Raducanu said.

“It just gives me something to occupy my brain with, because I would say I may be prone to overthinking, and my brain will just keep going if I don’t give it something to think about.

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“So having these subjects that I’m studying, it does remind me of when I was younger, and I was juggling two things.

“I’m putting deadlines on myself to achieve certain things, and having homework to do. It’s like all very nostalgic, but in a good way.”

When will Raducanu return to competitive action?

With the Australian Open just over a month away, Raducanu will ramp up her preparations with Roig in Barcelona ahead of what she hopes will be a big 2026.

The 23-year-old is still yet to taste any silverware outside of her stunning victory in Flushing Meadows, but no doubt hopes to buck the trend next year.

Her 2026 season begins at the United Cup in Perth, where she will team up with Jack Draper to represent Great Britain.

Great Britain’s first match at the tournament is against Japan, with Raducanu to face four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka.