Tragic history of Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu has sparked fresh romance rumours after being spotted with a new man in her life - who has reportedly been providing a much-needed emotional anchor just as she faces yet another devastating professional setback. The 23-year-old former US Open champion, who has withdrawn from Wimbledon on the eve of her first round match due to injury, was photographed hand-in-hand on a park bench in London's Battersea Park with 32-year-old public relations executive John Friend.
While the burgeoning relationship has brought a welcome wave of positivity and a sense of settled comfort to Raducanu following a series of challenging seasons on and off the court, it has also cast a spotlight on the extraordinary and heartbreaking history of her new beau. Behind Friend's polished exterior as a successful London professional lies a background marked by unimaginable family tragedy, including the death of three close family members in the space of eight years. Here, Express Sport takes a closer look at the heartbreaking past of Raducanu's supposed new boyfriend.
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John Friend boasts an impressive and elite British pedigree. He is an "Old Harrovian," having attended the prestigious private Harrow School in London. Before carving out his current path in corporate communications, Friend served his country as a former paratrooper with the elite 4 Para reserve regiment.
Today, he is a high-flying PR expert and the director of his own public relations firm, JSGF. Friend also has deep-rooted ties to the British tennis world - a factor that may have brought him into Raducanu's orbit.
His father is an independent board advisor who has notably served as a committee member on the elite Queen's Club real tennis committee in London.
The most high-profile tragedy to strike the Friend family occurred when John's brother, Will Friend, was killed at the age of just 33. Will, who had relocated to the United States and was a successful commercial real estate executive, was struck by lightning while out on a boat with friends near Masonboro Island, close to his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, back in 2022.
Emergency services and a medical team desperately attempted to revive Will for 20 minutes in an ambulance, but he was tragically pronounced dead before reaching the hospital.
Will untimely death made global headlines not only because of its shocking nature but also due to his marriage to Hollywood actress Bevin Prince, best known for her role as Bevin Mirskey on the hit teen drama series One Tree Hill. The couple had been married since 2016 and had recently moved to the coast to launch a local fitness business together.
Tragically, the loss of his brother William was not the only heartbreak John had to endure. Within a painfully short period, Friend suffered a succession of devastating family losses, losing his mother and both of his brothers.
His mother, Antoinette, was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer in 2016, and she passed away two years later. In her memory, John and his brothers set up the charity Team Antoinette, which raises over £60,000 for Action Against Cancer.
In 2024, just two years after Will's death, John's other brother, Tom, passed away too. He was also 33.
The timing of Friend's entry into Raducanu's life appears to be exactly what the young tennis ace needs. Ever since her historic, meteoric rise to fame at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has faced immense pressure, recurring injuries, frequent coaching overhauls, and intense public scrutiny.
Her recent withdrawal from Wimbledon - announced late on Sunday evening after a final medical scan revealed that a persistent leg "niggle" had worsened into a stress fracture - was a bitter blow. Having to miss her home Grand Slam for the second time in four years left Raducanu admitting that the setback was "really difficult to process."
However, sources close to the star reveal that she is currently in a far happier, more grounded phase of her life despite the professional hurdles. Following her strong performance as a runner-up at the Queen's Club Championships final against Donna Vekic, Raducanu appeared totally relaxed in the capital, radiating joy while walking Friend's dog and enjoying his company.
"Emma seems far happier than she has been in recent years," a source close to the couple told the Daily Mail. "She appears more confident, understands herself better, and has regained that positive energy everyone fell in love with. John's presence has been a wonderful support."