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HOW HARRY KANE’S HUMILITY INSPIRES EMMA RADUCANU’S 2025 TENNIS RESURGENCE

Emma Raducanu opens up about her bond with Harry Kane. Read how the England captain’s humility inspires her 2026 tennis goals.

How Harry Kane’s humility inspires Emma Raducanu’s 2025 tennis resurgence
Emma Raducanu climbs back into the WTA top 30

Emma Raducanu got to hang out with England's soccer captain, Harry Kane.

Remember when Raducanu won the US Open back in 2021? Since then, she’s had a tough time with injuries, and her game hasn’t been the same.

A lot of folks have been giving her advice; even Formula One star Lewis Hamilton tried to help her out.

Raducanu chatted with soccer superstar Harry Kane, and she said meeting him was really cool.

Before the 2023 season, Raducanu talked to The Guardian, and they asked her about meeting Kane.

She hadn't had a chance to talk to him much, but she said she was inspired by how humble he is.

“Harry’s a great role model and super professional, so it’s really cool to be able to speak to him,” Raducanu said.

“We haven’t talked a lot, but he’s obviously an amazing player, and it’s just pretty cool, right? For someone who's done so much, it's really something how humble he is. I have a lot of respect for him.

“It’s really neat to talk to other athletes. It helps because we kind of get what the other are thinking and dealing with. And they’re just really cool people too.”

Tennis isn't the only sport Raducanu likes. She used to race cars when she was younger.

At the 2022 Stuttgart Open, people saw Raducanu practising in a Tottenham Hotspur soccer shirt.

When the media asked her about it, Raducanu said that her team are big Tottenham fans, and they wanted her to root for them. She admitted that she wasn't really a soccer fan.

Raducanu also said that Kane was one reason she was getting interested in Tottenham.

“My whole team are basically big Spurs fans, and I feel like they’re pushing me,” Raducanu said. “They’re trying hard to get me to support them. I don’t really follow soccer that much, but now I'm feeling some sort of something because of them.

“I loved watching the Euros last year and Harry Kane, who’s the England captain, and [Heung-min] Son—I’m a big fan of him, too. So yeah, I like to check it out sometimes.”

Since Raducanu said these things, both Kane and Heung-min Son have left Tottenham Hotspur.

NICK KYRGIOS VS ARYNA SABALENKA: THE COURT WAS SMALLER BUT THE DRAMA WAS HUGE: WHO REALLY FELT PRESSURE

Nick Kyrgios defeats Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai. Read how the 9% court handicap and one-serve rule changed the game.

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Kyrgios secures a 6-3, 6-3 win over Sabalenka in Dubai

The hyped-up Battle of the Sexes match between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked woman, was actually fun to watch. Kyrgios won the thing in Dubai on Sunday.

Kyrgios, who's been in the Wimbledon final before, took the exhibition match 6-3, 6-3. It was kind of like a nod to the famous 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and King's fight for respect and equal pay in women's tennis.

On Sunday, each player only got one serve. Also, Sabalenka's side of the court was made a bit smaller (nine per cent) to try and level the playing field against Kyrgios' power and speed.

"I reckon not many blokes would want to be in my shoes, especially given my rep," Kyrgios said.

But Aryna was up for it. The score was closer than it seemed. I was feeling the heat for sure. With the crowd getting into it, anything could've happened. I was sweating a bit.

Playing to a packed house at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, Kyrgios handled the slightly smaller court size on Sabalenka's side and got the win.

With the one-serve rule, both players started a bit shaky. Then, Kyrgios broke Sabalenka to take a 4-3 lead and wrapped up the first set.

The Aussie looked gassed in the second set after falling behind 1-3. He managed to tie it up at 3-3 after Sabalenka sent a shot too long.

Unlike Riggs, who was long retired when he played King, Kyrgios is still playing on the ATP Tour.

"It was a tough one," Kyrgios said. She's one heck of a player and a true champ. I mean, she's won multiple Grand Slams. I wasn't really sure what to expect.

As I said before, no matter my part, it was great to get out there. She broke my serve a bunch of times, and I swear, I was feeling the pressure because she was hitting some crazy shots.

Kyrgios closed out the match with a serve and then hugged Sabalenka.

"I think I gave it a good shot," Sabalenka said.

He was struggling, getting tight. Glad to see him feeling the pressure, especially after taking away one of my serves. I thought the level of play was pretty good.

I hit some good shots, came to the net a lot... nice drop shots, Nick, and great serving. I had a blast, and next time we play, I'll know his game better.

I know what he's good at and what he's not so good at, so it should be an even better match.

MATCH PREVIEW: ANALYZING ARYNA SABALENKA VS. NICK KYRGIOS TACTICAL RULE SHIFTS AND COURT DIMENSIONS

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces Nick Kyrgios in Dubai’s "Battle of the Sexes." Learn the modified rules and match start times.

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No. 1 Sabalenka is Favoured in Dubai’s "Battle" Revival.

When Aryna Sabalenka plays Nick Kyrgios in Sunday’s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ show match, she'll have her rich boyfriend cheering her on. Since last year, Georgios Frangulis, a Brazilian businessman, has been there for her. He goes all over the world to watch her play and has even been seen helping her practice.

They started dating around April 2024, not long after the sad passing of Sabalenka’s ex, Konstantin Koltsov. He was an ice hockey player who died in March of that year. Sabalenka told PEOPLE that Frangulis' support meant a lot to her during that tough time. “It was a hard time, and I was so glad he was there for me, cheering me up and making sure we had some fun,” she said.

They met when Sabalenka became a spokesperson for Oakberry, an acai bowl company started by Frangulis. His company has done really well, and he’s made even more money than Sabalenka has from tennis.

He’s reportedly worth about £55m ($75m), while Sabalenka has earned about £33m ($45m) in prize money. That puts her in second place for all-time earnings in women’s tennis, behind Serena Williams.

They don’t mind the age difference either. Frangulis is nine years older than Sabalenka.

He'll probably be there in Dubai on Sunday when Sabalenka plays Kyrgios in what they are calling a modern version of the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs match.

Kyrgios, who used to be a Wimbledon finalist, is now ranked No. 1286 because of injuries. But he’s excited to play against Sabalenka, who has been the best player on the women's tour for the last couple of years. The match will be best of three sets, with a tie-break if needed. But they’re playing on a court that’s been changed a bit.

Evolve says that women move around the court more slowly than men, so Sabalenka’s side of the court will be smaller. Each player will also only get one serve per point to try and even things out, since Kyrgios has a really good serve.

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