LONDON – Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu walk side by side down the main hallway of the All England Club, just off Centre Court. They’re smiling, chatting about something that clearly makes them happy. Raducanu glances at the Spaniard with the look of someone enjoying the company.
The moment is captured in a photo taken with CLAY’s phone from the press room, which overlooks everything that happens down that corridor. It doesn’t take long before the image goes viral and becomes a hit on Twitter and Instagram.
“All I see on my feed is Carlos and Emma. Nothing else shows up anymore!” Bianca Andreescu told CLAY with a laugh a few days ago. What the 2019 US Open champion said in jest actually rings true: the hype around the tour’s newest friendship is real, and anything they do together draws massive fan attention.
THE SNAP OF THE DAY#Alcaraz #Raducanu
📷 @varelanahmias pic.twitter.com/k4QrsBQTgk— Clay (@_claymagazine) June 27, 2025
Ever since the US Open announced that the Spaniard and the Brit would team up for the mixed doubles event in a new and refreshing format, interest around the pair has grown exponentially.
X accounts like @TheTennisLetter and @TiempodeTenis picked up @_claymagazine’s photo, and combined, those posts racked up over 500,000 views within just a few hours — a clear sign of the fascination they spark among tennis fans.
Even the sport’s official media channels have jumped on the trending topic, making the most of moments like Raducanu showing up to watch one of Alcaraz’s matches at Queen’s.
Reporters now ask each player about the other, and their answers continue to make headlines across both British and international press.
Major sponsors are taking note, too. Evian — Wimbledon’s official bottled water brand — signed Raducanu not long after her 2021 US Open triumph, and more recently, they added Alcaraz to their roster. The two were brought together for a promotional event at Wimbledon that included a hit on one of the outside courts.
Right after the now-viral photo was taken — adding extra excitement to the lead-up to the world’s oldest tennis event.
