Emma Raducanu has been linked with a new relationship just weeks before her home tournament Wimbledon is due to commence.
Tennis enthusiasts at Queen's this week noticed more than just Raducanu's impressive return to form.
Among her courtside support team was Benjamin Heynold, a 24-year-old former tennis prodigy who has known the British star since childhood.
Heynold joined coach Nick Cavaday and agent Thomas Houchin in cheering on Raducanu as she reached the quarter-finals.
Emma Raducanu fell to a straight sets defeat in the Queen's quarter-final
Reuters
His presence has sparked speculation about a potential romance between the two long-time friends.
The University of North Carolina student watched as Raducanu secured her position as British number one, despite eventually falling to Chinese first-seed Qinwen Zheng in straight sets.
Raducanu and Heynold's connection stretches back nearly two decades, having first met when she was just six-years-old.
The pair competed together in junior tournaments across Britain, including at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017.
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Benjamin Heynold (left) and Emma Raducanu (centre right) have known each other since childhoodX @TeamsportsaidBoth represented Team GB during their junior careers before their paths diverged.
Whilst Raducanu pursued professional tennis and claimed her stunning US Open victory in 2021, Heynold chose to step away from competitive tennis to pursue his studies in America.
Their shared tennis background and years of friendship have created a bond that friends now suggest may have evolved into something more romantic.
This potential relationship represents a significant personal development for Raducanu following her separation from Carlo Agostinelli last year.
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The Harrow-educated Agostinelli, whose father Robert co-founded and chairs private equity firm Rhone Group, had been in a year-long relationship with the tennis star.
That romance was described as Raducanu's most serious relationship to date.
The 22-year-old has previously been linked romantically with several high-profile names, including Romeo Beckham, Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz.
Her split from Agostinelli marked the end of what friends considered a whirlwind romance with the former head boy of the prestigious private school.
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Emma Raducanu split from boyfriend Carlo Agostinelli last year
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The former US Open champion previously revealed her parents' strict stance on dating during her youth.
"My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training," she told The Times. "When I was younger I wasn't even allowed to hang out with my girl friends."
She admitted feeling "very resentful" at the time but acknowledged the experience "made me very confident and comfortable in my own company, which is also a big strength."
With seven coaching changes in four years behind her, Raducanu's renewed focus and the presence of a trusted childhood friend suggest she may be finding balance between her professional ambitions and personal life.
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