Wimbledon star calls Emma Raducanu's Carlos Alcaraz comment 'brutal'

Tennis star Danielle Collins has joked about Emma Raducanu's latest response over rumours of a potential romance with Carlos Alcaraz. The duo are used to being in the spotlight but have found themselves at the centre of more speculation since signing up to be a mixed doubles team at the upcoming US Open.

Raducanu's immediate focus will be on her first-round Wimbledon match against British wildcard Mimi Xu on Monday. However, the former US Open champion was still asked a question about the nature of her relationship with Alcaraz in a recent press conference. US tennis player Collins shared Raducanu's short response on social media and reacted with a tongue-in-cheek quip.

During her pre-tournament press briefing, Raducanu was asked if there was any truth to the rumours romantically linking her with Alcaraz. The question came after the pair were spotted filming together in a promotional video for Evian.

"We're just good friends," Raducanu replied. After shutting down the question, the journalist who asked the question joked that the press conference could be ended there. "Way to wrap up," Raducanu laughed.

Former world No.7 Collins, who is set to face Colombia's Camila Osorio at Wimbledon on Tuesday, couldn't resist stirring the pot. Replying to a clip of Raducanu's answer on Instagram, she sarcastically wrote: "Brutal!! @emmaraducanu such a heartbreaker," alongside a laughing emoji.

Raducanu and Alcaraz will compete as part of a star-studded mixed doubles field at the US Open in August. The Spanish ace, who recently won his fifth Grand Slam singles title at the French Open, is looking forward to partnering Raducanu at Flushing Meadows.

"She's gonna be the boss," Alcaraz said. "Yeah, I've known Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have really good relationship with her.

"So it's just gonna be interesting. You know, obviously both, you know, we are gonna enjoy, for sure. I will try, you know, to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun."

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Alcaraz admitted to putting in a "special request" to play alongside the British star and joked that she made him wait for an answer. However, Raducanu has since set the record straight.

"Gotta keep them on their toes!" she joked. "I mean, of course, I had to ask my team if they wanted me to play. But for me, when he asked me, I was going to say yes, I just had to kind of go through the formality of asking my coach, so I didn't just make the decision."

Through her partnership with Alcaraz, Raducanu will hope to win a second major title at Flushing Meadows. She rose to prominence after her remarkable singles triumph as a teenager at the 2021 US Open.

Given her own Grand Slam success at a young age, Raducanu will be wary of the threat that 17-year-old Xu could pose to her at Wimbledon. The former US Open champion already has first-hand experience of Xu's game ahead of their first-round clash at the All England Club on Monday.

"I think it's a very dangerous match, very difficult. Mimi is a really, really good player. I've practiced with her a few times," Raducanu told reporters. "She has a lot of weapons. She also moves really well. It's going to be a really different match.

"For her, it's one where there's nothing to lose. I remember when I had my first Wimbledon here and I was 18. It's a great feeling. You just feel, like, completely fearless."