Emma Raducanu found it hard to smile this week.
Some “pretty bad personal news” left her unable to hold back the tears after winning a round at Eastbourne, but she is determined not to let it cloud her performances, or her demeanour, at Wimbledon.
Only a year or two ago, Raducanu was still trying to emit an air of “locked in” steeliness on court, afraid of seeming “unserious” if she were seen laughing and joking during matches.
But what the British No 1 has realised is that showing little emotion on the court really isn’t her.
“It is something I’ve discovered recently. I was, growing up, very boxed into a way of thinking, maths and logic, ABC,” Raducanu said.
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“As I’ve gone through it over the last few years and figured out what I actually enjoy, when I play my best, I’m very free. I’m enjoying it.
“I don’t have to be so serious and ‘on’ all the time, because sometimes on the court, if you’re laughing, it can be seen as unserious.
“But actually for me, it’s a better way and I’m probably gonna play better than if I’m just putting so much pressure on myself to to be ‘on’ and perfect.”
It was an understandable, if subconscious, reaction to the hounding of social media trolls who falsely claimed she wasn’t that interested in tennis, and more so in modelling or turning up at high-profile fashion events.
That has never been the case, but it is not the only thing that might have pushed Raducanu towards a more hard-hearted persona on court.
Her prolific brand portfolio, hastily assembled in the aftermath of her US Open triumph four years ago, was largely the same profile as that of Maria Sharapova; deals done by the same agent and with the same type of client in mind.
Companies like Dior, British Airways and HSBC demand high-status ambassadors who exude an air of serenity and perfection, even aloofness; the Raducanu presented to the world in those early years matched up with that.
But there has been a change in the mood music within the Raducanu camp in 2025, and that was evident again at Queen’s, her opening grass-court tournament of the year.
She formed a jovial doubles partnership with Katie Boulter and also visibly enjoyed herself en route to the singles quarter-finals before defeat to top seed Zheng Qinwen.
A partnership with Katie Boulter has helped Raducanu find the joy on court (Photo: Getty)And off the court, she has been exploring a different side of herself too.
Famously a star maths and economics A-Level student, Raducanu is undertaking a year-long art history course alongside her playing career.
“Art history is completely different, and you have to challenge […] your ways of thinking,” added Raducanu, whose own painting skills have drawn praise on social media.
“It is quite challenging but I actually quite like it, because I have to learn so many broader topics, you have to pick apart and analyse every single thing in the painting. But it’s interesting. It’s really fascinating.
“I have a greater appreciation for Monet and the Impressionist era. I didn’t really take as much notice of that era of painting, it was a lot more like modern and abstract art.”
There isn’t much abstract about tennis, a sport that boils down keeping it within the lines.
But the modern era is certainly coming, not least at the US Open, where Raducanu is due to play in the revamped mixed doubles championship with Carlos Alcaraz, a pairing that has set tongues wagging.
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Raducanu finds the idea that the two are romantically paired, which has no basis in reality, rather funny.
“I’m glad the internet is having fun and we’re providing some entertainment for everyone!” she told the BBC this week.
But Alcaraz, a friend since they both burst onto the scene in 2021, is an obvious inspiration, particularly when it comes to smiling on court.
Raducanu says she probably won’t be joining him on one of his legendary party trips to Ibiza, but would like to draw similar enjoyment from her tennis.
“I want to really embody having a good time, and joy,” Raducanu said.
“I’ve recently realised that what we do, it’s for such a short amount of time, and it will go before we know it.
“And I was actually listening to Ana Ivanovic [former world No 1] say the same thing – she said she wished she had enjoyed it more.
“Sometimes I want to go into the future and think, ‘Oh my god, am I going to regret not enjoying this moment’. I’m 22 now, so I’m living for that person to not have any regrets to look back on.
“I want to bring joy to what I do and enjoy this time, because it’s going to go by really fast.”
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