British No.1 Emma Raducanu has been spotted enjoying some time off with a new love interest in Battersea Park, and it has come to light that her new ‘boyfriend’ has undergone some significant personal heartbreak over the years.

The 23-year-old tennis star was photographed with 32-year-old public relations executive John Friend on a park bench and the pair appeared to be comfortable in each other’s company, even sharing an embrace.

They are rumoured to be dating, and it is hoped that the relationship will add some stability for the 2021 US Open champion after some turbulent years with injuries and coaching changes.

Who is Emma Raducanu’s New Boyfriend

Friend is the director of his own public relations company, JSGF, and previously served in the British Army as a paratrooper in the elite 4 Para reserve regiment.

Earlier in life, he attended the prestigious private Harrow School in London. He’s also said to have connections to British tennis as his father reportedly served as a committee member on the Queen’s Club real tennis committee. Raducanu finished as the runner-up at this year’s Queen’s.

Raducanu’s Boyfriend’s Personal Tragedy

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

In 2022, Friend’s brother Will died at the age of 33 after being struck by lightning in the United States.

Will had been living in the US at the time, and it occurred while he was boating near Masonboro Island in North Carolina. Paramedics attended the scene, but they were unfortunately unable to revive him.

The incident attracted media coverage at the time as Will was married to actress Bevin Prince, who is best known for playing Bevin Mirskey on the series One Tree Hill. The couple had been married since 2016.

In 2018, Friend also lost his mother to breast cancer, and in 2024, his other brother also passed away aged 33. After the death of his mother, the family formed a charity in her memory to raise money for Action Against Cancer.

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon Heartbreak

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

Raducanu just yesterday withdrew from Wimbledon after scans revealed she had a stress fracture in her lower leg.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” she confirmed on her Instagram page.

“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.”

Despite her withdrawal from the tournament, she has secured a £40,000 pay day.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is set to be sold this summer with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool among the teams interested, but Lille are hoping for a one-year loan-back or pre-agreement to try and keep the player with them for an extra year.

GMS understands Lille want a minimum of €80m for the Moroccan midfielder, but that price could rise to €100m+ for clubs seeking an immediate sale. Bouaddi has also been tracked by PSG, but the French champions are currently prioritising adding an attacker, with Yan Diomande their top priority.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all interested in the 18-year-old, who has impressed so far at the World Cup, including in Morocco’s opening draw with Brazil.

GMS understands Manchester City are one of Bouaddi’s most active suitors, but Lille anticipate several approaches after the World Cup. City want to add another midfielder, even after the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal are also intent on signing a new midfielder. Along with Bouaddi, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Alex Scott are all on their radar.

Manchester United will sign at least one more midfielder following the arrival of Ederson from Atalanta. The club are in talks with West Ham over Mateus Fernandes, and face competition from Spurs. Scott and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba are two other options.

And Liverpool could reinforce in central midfield, especially if Curtis Jones or Alexis Mac Allister are sold. The former has drawn interest from Inter and Nottingham Forest, but clubs must meet a £40m asking price.

Chelsea are another Premier League club assessing the midfield market and have seen a £8m bid rejected for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka. And Spurs want to sign two midfielders, with West Ham’s Fernandes and Tonali two active deals they are working on.

Bouaddi has already made 96 appearances for Lille across three seasons having come through the club’s Academy. In January 2026, he became the youngest player to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, breaking a record previously held by Eden Hazard.

Lille are aware he will be difficult to keep hold of, but are hoping to strike a deal seeing the teenager stay for one more year.

A breakdown of prices has been revealed for classic food and drink items at Wimbledon this year, including the iconic punnet of strawberries and cream, and a glass of Pimms.

Strawberries and cream are the delicacy most synonymous with Wimbledon, and are believed to have been served at the tournament as early as the Victorian era, when they were only available in the country for a few weeks in summer.

The price of this seasonal snack has always remained affordable, but has risen this year by 15p to £2.85.

The classic treat was held at £2.50 for 14 years between 2010 and 2024, rising to £2.70 last year before another slight increase for 2026.

Toby Melville via Reuters

Another British classic strongly associated with Wimbledon is Pimms, a gin-based liquor usually topped with lemonade and filled with fruit and herbs such as strawberries, cucumber, oranges, lemon, and fresh mint.

The summer garden party staple was first served at Wimbledon in 1971 when the tournament opened its first Pimms dedicated bar, and every year well over 80,000 pints are drunk by spectators.

This year, one glass will reportedly set you back £13.45, up £1.20 from last year, meaning a combo of the two Wimbledon classics will cost £16.30.

Price jumps are happening across the beverage menu too, with a pint of Wimbledon’s lager sponsor, Stella, reported at £8.95, up 10p from last year.

Susan Mullane via Reuters

Champagne drinkers are not safe from inflation either, with a mini bottle of Lanson Le Rose rising by £1.50 to £31.35, while a full-sized bottle is priced at a whopping £102, up £1.10 from the previous year. However, the price of a refillable bottle of Evian water will remain unchanged at £5.

Wimbledon Spokesperson Explains Pricing

A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) told The Sun: “Food and drink inflation continues to be a challenge nationwide, and we are not immune.

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

To limit your spending, Wimbledon also allows spectators to bring their own drinks, with each person restricted to the equivalent of either one bottle of wine or Champagne (750ml), two cans of beer/lager (500ml each), or two cans of premixed aperitifs.

The tournament runs from the 29th of June, through to the 12th of July, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in SW19.