Inside the world of ‘lone wolf’ Emma Raducanu and the strict relationship rules following her split with Brit posh boy
WHETHER it’s Kim Murray at Wimbledon or Taylor Swift at the Superbowl, the partners of sports stars are as commonplace as the trophies.
But there is one tennis star you won’t catch on the arm of a Wimbledon HAB (that’s husband and boyfriend).
At the age of 18 Emma Raducanu made sporting history when she became the youngest British player to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open.
Now 21, the Tennis powerhouse is worth an estimated £10 million according to Forbes making her a seriously eligible bachelorette with a very glam lifestyle.
But as she was knocked out of Wimbledon on Saturday, Emma was without a shoulder to cry on, with the sports star recently splitting from her billionaire boyfriend Robert Agostinelli.
It came after Emma made the decision to withdraw from a Box Office pairing with Andy Murray to rest her stiff wrist and prioritise solo action which divided opinion among tennis circles.
However, prioritising solo time is second nature to the star who has previously described herself as a lone wolf.
Here Fabulous looks inside the world of Britain’s most independent tennis player…
ONLY CHILD
Emma is the only child of her parents Renee and Ion Raducanu.
The family moved to Bromley, South East London from their home in Canada and Emma credits her parents with keeping her focused on her training.
In an interview with The Sun following her US Open win, she explained that her hectic schedule kept her away from friends.
She said: “I’ve been a bit busy lately so I haven’t been able to hang out with my friends as much, but it’s just nice to have those conversations and go to the same places that you used to go.
“And I have my parents — who were telling me off yesterday morning, big time.”
Asked what she did wrong, Emma said with a laugh: “I said I was tired! They both told me off.”
BOOMING BUSINESS
While her training schedule may be full on, the 21-year-old has proven that hard work pays off.
In 2020 Emma set up her firm Harbour 6, which channels her sports and commercial earnings, just as her tennis career was taking off.
She entered the US Open as a qualifier before shocking the world with her eventual triumph at Flushing Meadow.
The success saw Raducanu crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2021 and handed an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.
As a result she went from barely making money from tennis to banking £1.8m from her sensational US Open win a year later. Deals with huge brands then followed.
And in April it was revealed that her company had earned £7.7 million in a year, with Emma netting around £148,000 a week.
The accounts – which Raducanu, 21, signed off herself – show the business has £10.2 million in assets including £6.3 million in cash.
The firm, of which Kent-based Emma is the sole director, is due to pay bills of £2.2million, including corporation tax at £1.8 million.
Raducanu set up the business as a teenager in 2020 while her tennis career was taking off. Her firm made £7.7 million in profits for the year ending February 28, 2023.
The Brit star has been tipped to become a billionaire.
LONE WOLF
While young millions are wont to blow thousands on wild parties and jetting A-list friends off on luxurious holidays, Emma is perfectly happy in her own company.
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in February, she explained: “I am a bit of a lone wolf and after an intense day, where I either push myself to the limits training or have many social interactions, I like to spend time alone reflecting and recharging.
“Being comfortable in my own company and in the silence that comes with it is something that helps me stay fresh.”
STRICT DATING RULES
It is a good thing that Emma enjoys her own company as her parents have given her some very strict rules when it comes to dating.
“My parents were very much against that [boyfriends] as it interfered with training,” she told the Times in May.
“When I was younger I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girlfriends. A lot of the time I was very resentful.
“But it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company, which is also a big strength.”
BILLIONAIRE BOYFRIEND
However, one suitor did slip through the net with Emma famously dating billionaire Carlo Agostinelli.
The couple got together in May 2023 and were first seen together at Paris Fashion Week.
Former Spurs academy footballer Carlo is the son of tycoon Robert Agostinelli, who generated his fortune as the co-founder and chairman of private equity firm Rhone Group.
Robert is said to be worth more than £780million.
They frequently featured on each other’s Instagram pages and shared snaps showing them on luxury holidays together in Greece and Mexico.
However, their romance was short-lived.
The Wimbledon hopeful and tycoon’s son Carlo, 23, a former head boy of private Harrow school before moving to California to study at Stanford University, unfollowed each other on Instagram last month.
And Emma has also blocked Carlo from her social media account, suggesting she is the one who called time on the relationship.
A source said: “Emma has 2.4million followers on Instagram but Carlo is no longer one of them.
“It seems their relationship has run its course.”
Wimbledon 2024 prize money
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record – and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events – an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 – taking the winner’s earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
- Winner: £2.7m
- Runner-up: £1.4m
- Semi-finalists: £715,000
- Quarter-finalists: £375,000
- Fourth round: £226,000
- Third round: £143,000
- Second round: £93,000
- First round: £60,000
- Overall total: £50m
CELEBRITY SUPPORT
But while Emma may not have a significant other cheering her on from the side lines she has plenty of support from her celebrity fans.
Various famous faces, including Boris Johnson, Ant & Dec, Stephen Fry, Nicola Sturgeon and Clare Balding have paid tribute to her success.
Even the late Queen published an open letter to congratulate Raducanu on her remarkable triumph – which the tennis star planned to frame.
Raducanu is also mates with Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United hero offering his support when she crashed out of the tournament in 2021.
She told Vogue: “I was feeling like I let people down, so for him to reassure me like that – I was extremely grateful.”
Rashford congratulated Raducanu on her American success, tweeting: “Look at that bounce back… US Open champion, amazing. Congratulations!”
And she went to the same school as sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, although they attended Newstead Wood in Orpington at different times.
Raducanu has not forgotten her roots, taking time out of her busy schedule to visit her old primary school on sports day.
She inspired the next generation by handing out medals and playing tennis with the kids, giving them some priceless tips.
While in 2022, ambitious Emma was awarded an MBE by the King.