Emma Raducanu opens up on boyfriend ban that made her ‘resentful’ – before she hooked up with hunky son of billionaire
EMMA RADUCANU was banned from having boyfriends growing up.
And that even made her resent her parents for their hard-line approach.
The Bromley sensation, 21, rose to global stardom with her incredible US Open win in 2021.
That saw the darling of British tennis land a host of multi-million-pound sponsorship deals and a whopping following on social media.
But Raducanu’s new-found fame on the tennis court came at the cost of any teenage romances.
That is because for her parents Ion and Renee, match-winning took priority over match-making.
Raducanu told The Times: “My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training.
“When I was younger I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girl friends.
“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.”
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However, it appears their tough approach has been relaxed more recently.
That is because last year Raducanu was linked with the hunky son of a billionaire.
Pictures showed Emma and Carlo Agostinelli hanging out in Mexico following her wrist surgery.
Also among the snaps Carlo uploaded from Mexico City was an image of the tennis ace locking arms with his mum Mathilde Favier – a PR chief at French fashion house Dior, with whom Emma has a £2million deal.
Former Tottenham footballer Carlo attended £15,570-a-term Harrow School in North-West London and his Italian-American dad Robert founded private equity firm Rhone Group.
He then went on to study at the prestigious Stanford University in California while his sister Heloise was in Made In Chelsea and dated Jamie Laing.
Raducanu’s parents were not in New York to witness their daughter’s fairytale.
However, they have been heavily involved in her career – including the decision to chop and change coaches throughout her short career.
‘SO PUSHY’
Raducanu added: “At the start my dad forced me into tennis. I didn’t like it, but then as I got older and tennis became more of a priority I was pushing myself.
“I’ve seen some great people who I was playing with in the juniors who had way more lenient parents, who were like, ‘It’s okay if you lost,’ and those players don’t play tennis any more, so I don’t blame my parents for it.
“I am very grateful, and I don’t regret any of their methods.
“They are so pushy. When I was younger more so.
“Now they are at a place where they tell me what they think is best, but they realise ultimately that the more they push the more I am going to resist.
“So they know the smartest way is to not try to enforce their opinions but make me think it is my idea. We are three very stubborn characters in the house.
“I like to keep them close as a lot of people like to separate the player from their parents as they are easier to manipulate.”
Raducanu decided to skip trying to qualify for the French Open this year and instead put her full focus on Wimbledon.
The former world No10, though, revealed she already has an idea of when she will retire from tennis.
Asked about missing out on backpacking with friends or going to uni, she admitted envy sometimes creeps in – but is grateful for the position she is in.
Raducanu added: “I do, but the rewards I am getting at this point are a lot greater than the best they can get.
“My career in tennis is probably finished in ten years, so I have got to maximise. It’s a sacrifice worth making.”
