Entertainment
Emma Raducanu’s potential new partner with things looking up and huge payday in sight
Emma Raducanu had a strong season in 2025 but she will be looking to improve in 2026 with a potential big payday on the horizon as well as a surprising link-up
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Join us on WhatsAppEmma Raducanu has enjoyed her finest season in tennis since clinching the US Open in 2021. The 22-year-old concluded the year ranked 29th globally, a leap of 29 spots from her ranking at the close of 2024.
Raducanu reached the semi-final in Washington at the Citi DC Open in July, a quarter-final at the Miami Open in March, and the last 16 at the Italian Open in May. However, she found it a struggle to progress beyond the third round in any of the Grand Slams this year and was defeated in 10 of her 11 matches against top-10 players.
She also grappled with a disappointing end to the year in Asia due to illness. Overall, Raducanu participated in 22 tournaments this year. A minor back injury led to an early end to her season, giving her 11 weeks to recuperate and gear up for a 2026 season that promises to be as demanding as the last.
Raducanu’s next tournament
Raducanu is poised to kick off 2026 by representing Team GB at the United Cup in Australia. This competition is the only mixed event endorsed by both the ATP and WTA, reports the Express.
Matches in the group stage comprise one men’s singles tie and one women’s singles match, along with a mixed game. It marks a shift in strategy for Raducanu, who has opted to begin her season in New Zealand for the previous three years, at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
However, she was a late withdrawal from the tournament in January this year. Raducanu said: “I’m honoured to be able to make my United Cup debut in January.
“Being able to play for Team GB with my team-mates is a unique opportunity and week to enjoy. It’s great to be able to experience a new format on the tour, represent my country and spend a couple extra weeks in Australia.”
The competition will commence on January 2 in Perth and Sydney. It will occur just a fortnight before the Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins on January 19. Raducanu could also be poised to partner with a recognisable face at The United Cup.
Raducanu’s new partner
Raducanu and British men’s No. 1 Jack Draper might well compete alongside each other at the United Cup. The duo are understood to share a close friendship, backing one another throughout the years, and they have now committed to Great Britain duties for the beginning of the 2026 campaign.
Whilst it remains uncertain whether they will feature together in the same fixture, the likelihood of the two Britons joining forces has grown, owing to the incorporation of the mixed format.
Draper is presently sidelined himself. He hasn’t competed since the US Open in August but is expected to make his comeback at the beginning of December, participating in the Universal Tennis Showdown Exhibition.
However, he is eager to compete in the United Cup. He said: “I am excited to get back on court and compete in the United Cup. I’ll be looking out for the draw to see if Team GB will play in Perth or Sydney. I haven’t been to either, so it will be nice to compete in a brand new city in Australia.”
Raducanu’s massive payday
The United Cup took over from the ATP Cup in the calendar and showcases leading players from both the ATP and WTA tours. The overall prize fund for 2025 stood at £8.4million, representing a 17 per cent rise from 2024.
Earnings are divided between participation fees, team victory bonuses and prize money. Every player initially receives a participation payment determined by their world ranking. Raducanu currently sits at No. 29 globally, meaning last year she would have pocketed £53,000 for her fee, assuming she was her team’s top-ranked player.
She would have earned £40,000 as the second player and £12,500 if listed third. These amounts are anticipated to increase for 2026.
Competitors also earn bonus prize money when their team secures a tie victory. In 2024, singles players could collect £213,000 for claiming the final and even £32,500 for simply winning a match.
This represented more than an 11 per cent increase from the previous year’s prize fund, with 2026 expected to offer even greater rewards. Raducanu could pocket £20,000 for capturing the team title whilst £4,200 is on offer for securing a group stage victory in that competition.
Should they partner up, Draper and Raducanu could claim £40,000 for triumphing in the mixed doubles. Hypothetically, based on previous figures, if Raducanu participated in every possible match and remained undefeated, she could potentially bag £750,000 in prize money and 500 ranking points.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.
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Join us on WhatsAppWith the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.
Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?
Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.
“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.
Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.
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Join us on WhatsAppIt’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.
These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.
That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.
So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.
But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?
Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.
Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.
That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.
If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.
But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.
Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.
For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.
Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time
With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.
He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.
DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.
He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.
He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.
He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.
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