'She's gonna be the boss': Carlos Alcaraz made 'special request' to team with Emma Raducanu as roles established

Carlos Alcaraz said that Emma Raducanu will be the boss when it comes to their doubles tandem at the US Open as he expressed his delight of teaming with the former champion at Flushing Meadows in the mixed doubles.

Alcaraz spoke at Queen's yesterday after it was confirmed and he will flank a line-up that includes Jannik Sinner with Emma Navarro, Zheng Qinwen teams with Jack Draper as well as the more established teams including Errani and Vavassori as well as Tsitsidosa (Tsitsipas and Badosa).

Often the subject of unfounded romance rumours mainly by Twitter accounts used to trick people, Alcaraz and Raducanu now will team together for the first time.

“She's gonna be the boss (smiling). Yeah, I mean, US Open came to us and give us opportunities to play mixed doubles. I'm super excited about it. I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. Yeah, I know Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have really good relationship with her. So it's just gonna be interesting," said Alcaraz.

"You know, obviously both, you know, we are gonna enjoy, for sure. I will try, you know, to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun.”

He said that he put in a request in particular for Raducanu and that she did take some time to consider it before saying yes. She did infamously withdraw from her doubles tandem with Andy Murray at Wimbledon which in the end meant that the legendary Brit's career came to an end.

This saw her criticised at the time but it seems that her mixed doubles career isn't over yet.

“Yeah. I mean, the tournament told us about the tournament, the mixed tournament. I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.”

"She took a while (laughter). No, not that much, not that much. But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute, so...”