Emma Raducanu's two telltale signs romance may be brewing with Carlos Alcaraz
Emma Raducanu's"coy smile" and "hair-preen gestures" while talking about about her new doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz indicate a romance is brewing courtside, a body language expert says.
Raducanu, 22, was spotted cheering for the Spaniard at the Queen's Club Championship in West Kensington, London, on Thursday and Saturday - the day before he won the competition after beating Jiri Lehecka. The victory came after it was announced Alcaraz, also 22, and Raducanu will team up for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event in August.
Speaking about her "genuine connection" with the two-time Wimbledon champ did little to quash speculation "there is something going on between them," according to body language expert Judi James. She noted Raducanu's "coy smile" and "hair-preen gestures" during this interview, signs Ms James believes suggest a new tennis love match is on the cards.
The expert said: "The fans love a whiff of a romance and it has to be said that her body language might be a bit of a thirst-trap for audiences starved of a love-all relationship since Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert hooked up back in the Seventies." The American former tennis players' "fairytale romance" also began at the Queen's Club.
Speaking to Mail Online, Ms James added Emma appeared to "stall for time" by repeating the interviewer's question about Alcaraz but "the way the coy smile spread across her face as she rattled off their history together" - coupled with the way she played with her hair - was akin to a "fan-girl reaction".
Raducanu and Alcaraz's chemistry led to fans chattering about a potential romance. Raducanu gushed in the TV interview at Eastbourne, ahead of her first-round match against Ann Li on Sunday, adding fuel to the fire.
And Raducanu's features "softened" and "gaze became evasive" as she reflected on her friendship with the Spanish ace, Ms James continued, also pointing out the Londoner's "pouting and posing" in the interview.
But Raducanu has remained coy in the conversations themselves about Alcaraz, firm favourite to win Wimbledon, explaining they became friends at Wimbledon 2021. She said: "He's so nice, very happy, amazing values and just a really positive light to be around.
"I've known him for years. Wimbledon 2021 was the first time I started getting to know him. He was always playing the day before me, I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win and get myself into that position too. It was really cool to go through that tournament together and then I kept going through the US Open, we were staying in touch for the whole time and, yeah, it's nice."
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