"I told all my friends I was going blonde" - When Emma Raducanu tried to shock her peers with sudden hair change

Emma Raducanu's US Open doubles partner, Carlos Alcaraz, recently stunned tennis fans with his bold new blonde hair look. However, Raducanu had contemplated going blonde much earlier.

After a stunning success as an 18-year-old at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu wanted to reflect the sudden change in her life, with a similar change in the look of her hair. Ahead of her title defence of the New York Slam in 2022, the Brit revealed that she pranked her friends, saying that she wanted to go blonde.

In an exclusive interview with The Standard Magazine, Raducanu said how she was 'messing' with her friends but was disappointed to find out that her friends weren't surprised.

"I was just messing with everyone. I went into the salon wanting a change and told all my friends I was going blonde, just to see their reactions. They weren’t sur - prised," said Raducanu.

However, the Brit claimed that there was a more specific reasonwhy she wanted to go blonde. Born to a Chinese mother and a Romanian father, Raducanu had a diverse upbringing, facilitated by her moving from Canada to England as a child.

In the interview, the youngster also revealed how it is like growing up in Bromley, Kent and spoke on her fondness for London. However, she found it quite difficult to go around London without being spotted and thought going blonde might resolve that.

"Bromley is home, but it’s a bit far from things like training. I go to London quite a lot. I like Borough Market, and I love Notting Hill," Raducanu said, discussing the challenges of being spotted, "Not really. More recently, I’ve struggled a bit. I think it’s my hair. That’s why I was going blonde."

Following a third-round loss at the US Open, Emma Raducanu prepares to turn her course of fate at Korea Open starting September 15.

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Emma Raducanu supportive of Carlos Alcaraz's buzzcut at the US Open

Carlos Alcaraz made his US Open 2025 debut with a buzzcut, which was the result of a hair-cutting mishap by his brother Alvaro. While the haircut was widely talked about, Emma Raducanu had only positive things to say about it.

In the post-match press conference after defeating Janice Tjen in the second round of the US Open, Emma Raducanu said,

“I think he owns it. I think he pulls it off. I think he’s just taking it and if you own a haircut like that, then it can work. Whatever he does, it’s not going to affect what he does on the court. I’m just happy to see him having fun with whatever.”

Raducanu was rumored to be dating the Spaniard, but made her feelings clear on him, claiming that they share a good friendship.