BRITISH ELEGANCE: NEW HAIRCUT PRECEDES EMMA RADUCANU'S 2026 PUSH
Emma Raducanu reveals a brand-new hairstyle as she enjoys her off-season in London. The tennis star is preparing for a fresh start ahead of the 2026 season.
Emma Raducanu is sporting a new hairstyle as she enjoys her time off before the next season.
The 23-year-old had to cut her season short due to back pain she experienced during the Asian swing this autumn. Her last match was at the Ningbo Open, where she lost to Lin Zhu in three sets.
Raducanu has decided not to participate in the planned exhibition events next month. She will miss the chance to play against her friend Amanda Anisimova in Miami and team up with Carlos Alcaraz, her US Open mixed doubles partner, again.
Instead, Raducanu wants to stick to her pre-season plan with coach Francisco Roig. They're getting ready to work together for the Australian Open, their first time since he joined her team this summer.
Before training kicks off, Raducanu is relaxing in London and has decided to try out a different hairstyle.
She visited Nicola Noviello, a stylist at Hershesons in Belgravia, to get her hair done.
Emma Raducanu is showing off her new hairstyle as she gets ready for a fresh start in 2026.
The British No. 1 had much longer hair earlier this month when she celebrated her birthday.
Noviello shared pictures of the haircut on social media, saying it was a combination of Italian hands and British elegance.
A fresh new look for (Raducanu), thanks for trusting me with your style! He wrote in a caption of the pictures of her new look. Creating something beautiful with an Italian touch is always special.
Raducanu seems happy with the result, commenting, "You're the best best" (two white heart emojis) under the pictures.
While at the salon, Raducanu was reading Blackstone CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman's book, What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence.
Besides the trip to the hairdresser, Raducanu celebrated her birthday at Cambio de Tercio in South Kensington, a favourite restaurant among tennis players. She also went to Twickenham to watch England play New Zealand in their Autumn Internationals match.
Raducanu sat with Bridgerton actress Simone Ashley, posed with England's Henry Pollock after the game, and met England captain Maro Itoje in the stands.
Raducanu was having fun with her stylist, Nicola Noviello, who complimented her British elegance.
During her off-season, she also went to Twickenham to watch England beat New Zealand.
The 23-year-old also sparked dating rumours when she was seen with a new man, Jack Coman.
Raducanu, a Wild ambassador, had previously joined the England team for a training day leading up to the match, which England won 33-19.
Raducanu was also seen with Jack Coman, a new man, who was in her Instagram posts and went with her to the England rugby game.
Coman appeared in two pictures that looked like they were taken around the same time. Another friend was in the pictures, but Coman smiled while Raducanu posed and seemed to start laughing.
One friend commented, "[heart emoji] lovers," and Raducanu responded with three heart emojis.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
