The Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz rumor train is showing no signs of slowing down. Whether it’s the practice courts or brand campaigns, these two keep giving fans something to talk about. The two young stars have kept fans guessing and talking since announcing their mixed doubles debut at the revamped US Open format. Now, just a week after Raducanu was spotted in the stands cheering Alcaraz on during his Queen’s Club semi-final, the duo were spotted once again at Wimbledon. The British No.1 is finally breaking her silence on the matter.

The whispers of romance have been swirling for weeks, with their repeated appearances doing little to quiet things down. The Brit and the Spaniard were seen practicing together and posing side by side for their mutual sponsor, Evian. With Wimbledon kicking off on June 30, the timing couldn’t be better for fans who’ve been following every interaction. The internet’s not just watching tennis this summer, it’s tracking every “Alacaranu” moment. And finally, Emma Raducanu has something to say about it all.

But before her pre-tournament press conference wrapped up, she cleared the air. “We’re just good friends,” the British No.1 said, smiling. And with perfect timing, she added, “What a way to wrap up.”

One of the first questions that came up when Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz announced their mixed doubles pairing was: who made the first move? Turns out, it was the Spaniard. “She took a while,” Alcaraz said with a grin at Queen’s, recalling how he asked Raducanu to team up. “No, not that much… But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn’t immediate, so…”

Raducanu, of course, had a cheeky reply ready. “Gotta keep ’em on their toes,” she said, laughing. “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.”

While their on-court partnership has only recently sparked headlines, Raducanu revealed that their bond goes back years.

Emma Raducanu opens up on “genuine connection” with Carlos Alcaraz

In a recent interview, Emma Raducanu shared just how much that connection means. “It is nice and I think, for all of us, we really value those connections that we had from when we were young,” the Brit said. “Because when you become a bit more known or a bit more successful, you just find yourself reverting back to people you knew from a young age and because that’s a real genuine connection, because it becomes very busy and you have a lot more friends – but the ones that you’ve known for a long time mean a lot more to you.”

She also reminisced about when she first met Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2021. The former US Open champion said, “I remember he beat Stef [Tsitsipas] in the third round and it was like a big win, his breakout win on a big stage and it was really cool to kind of go through that tournament together. We have a good relationship still. He’s obviously overtaken me a lot, but it’s nice we have that from a while ago.”

Now, four years later, the two return to where it all started, Wimbledon, this time as upcoming doubles partners and headline acts. Alcaraz begins his title defense against veteran Fabio Fognini as he hunts for a third straight crown at SW19. Raducanu, looking to better her fourth-round run from last year, opens her campaign against British wildcard Mimi Xu. With Wimbledon underway and all eyes on them, will this long-standing bond translate into a run that steals the show at SW19?