Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu agreement as tennis star makes girlfriend confession

Jack Draper has reached the third round of the French Open but has admitted the sacrifices he has made to get to this level – and it’s a sentiment shared by Emma Raducanu

Jack Draper has triumphed his way into the third round of the French Open and seems to have a bright future ahead of him. Nevertheless, he has acknowledged the considerable personal costs required to reach the top.  Draper’s candid admission about the “lonely” nature of life on the tennis circuit and its challenges for maintaining relationships has also been echoed by fellow British player Emma Raducanu.

The 23 year old’s victory over France’s Gael Monfils in an intense late-night match on Thursday has kept his hopes alive in Paris. Although Raducanu was defeated by four-time Roland Garros winner Iga Swiatek in the second round, both players agree that the tennis tour comes with a private cost.

Currently, both stars are thought to be single as they come to terms with the isolation that accompanies tennis stardom.  “I’m always on the road. Always playing, always training. It’s tough to sustain any form of relationship,” Draper said in an interview with Tatler earlier this year. Draper has also expressed his hopes of settling down with “someone who has got ambition” and “good values” but currently finds dating apps “too time-consuming”, with his tennis career taking priority, reports Wales Online.  “The most important thing to me right now is becoming the best tennis player I can be,” he added.

Draper would rather meet someone through a genuine connection, rather than relying on dating apps. In an intimate conversation in February, Raducanu gave a rare glimpse into her solitary existence on the pro tour, seeking solace in literature.  “I’m reading Emma, but reading it for pleasure,” she admitted.  “It’s not the easiest to read sometimes, but I think it’s a great story. And of course, with the name, I just had to go for it. This year, I’ve gone on loads of solo walks, solo coffee dates and just have a lot of time to kind of look inside and look internally. I’ve been enjoying it so far, even though it’s not necessarily the easiest thing to do, especially when the tour is quite a lonely place.”

Draper shared his own struggles with tennis circuit loneliness, confessing his uncertainties about continuing in the sport in March. “I went through many ups and downs,” he revealed.  “Not just physically but also from a mental standpoint, there was a couple of times when I wasn’t sure if I was going to carry on. You know, it’s going to a place for three, four weeks on end, you know, very lonely.”

Despite speculation about a potential link-up between Raducanu and Spanish ace Carlos Alcaraz after she was seen supporting him at the All England Club final the previous year, the rumoured romantic connection remained unverified, implying that Raducanu is no stranger to solitude.  Reflecting on the strict controls during her earlier years, the former US Open victor shared with The Times in 2024: “My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training,” and “When I was younger, I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girlfriends.”

Despite lacking romantic involvement, Draper and Raducanu stand united as allies. Regarding the 22 year old, Draper revealed: “She has always been there for me,” and “I’ve always been there for her. She’s extremely bubbly, very kind, very thoughtful, always giggling, really smart. A really, really, really good girl.”  Ahead lies a challenge for Draper as he prepares to contend with Brazil’s young sensation Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open come Saturday.