Emma Raducanu has revealed she is not looking for a new coach following her
split from Francisco Roig and that sh is hoping to revert to more “aggressive” style of play.
Roig, a former coach of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, became the latest departure from Raducanu’s team in January after six months working together, with the pair gelling well on a personal level but not aligning on style of play.
The former US Open champion was outspoken after a second-round loss to Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open, saying she wanted to be playing “in a way more similar to when I was younger”.
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Emma Raducanu admits she ran out of energy in the Transylvania Open final against Sorana Cirstea as she fell to a heavy defeat and discusses what influence LTA coach Alexis Canter has had on her game
Her next tournament in Romania saw her reach her first final since her victory in New York in 2021, and since the split from Roig, Raducanu has insisted she is happy working only with hitting partner Alexis Canter, a 27-year-old former British player who reached a career-high ranking of 779 last year.
Raducanu told The Guardian: “Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m actively looking for a coach.
“I have Alexis in my corner. He knows me as a person. He knows me as a player and I’ve actually had some success with him in the past year. So it’s going well.
“I know the drills that I need to be doing… just repetition of doing those key fundamentals. I think I want to go back to that and a more aggressive style of playing.”
Making the final in Cluj-Napoca – where she won just two games in defeat to Sorana Cirstea – came at a cost, with Raducanu picking up a virus that she has since struggled to shake off.
Raducanu told Sky Sports she would take positives from her Transylvania Open final defeat, revealing she is finding her ‘identity” on the court and playing “in the way I want to”.
She lost in the first round of two tournaments in the Middle East, calling the doctor on court both times, but is hopeful that is now behind her.
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Jonathan Overend believes that if Emma Raducanu can find the right balance with the correct coach, she will be set up for a great year of tennis
Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend feels Raducanu will only be able to find the right balance in her set-up once she answers a key question.
“I think she has spent a lot of her young career re-evaluating,” he said. “In one regard, it explains why she has been through so many coaches and why she has been criticised for it.
“It’s typical of Raducanu that she wants to keep re-evaluating and finding out what is best for her on and around a tennis court.
“That challenge continues, and to some extent it is a struggle, because finding the right balance is so hard, but I think she is slowly getting [it], not in terms of her Grand Slam results but in terms of that re-evaluation process.
“What is it she really wants for herself on a tennis court and in tournaments?”
Raducanu partners with Uniqlo after ending partnership with Nike
Emma Raducanu has joined UNIQLO (Credit: Fast Retailing/UNIQLO)
Raducanu was speaking in Japan after being unveiled as a global brand ambassador for clothes retailer Uniqlo.
The deal, which sees her join a very select group including Roger Federer, is a sign of her enduring commercial appeal and will involve her playing an active role in designing her on-court kit.
Raducanu, who had previously worn Nike, said of her illness: “I had really long effects for the last three weeks. I’ve been trying to clear them. So the Middle East trip was very difficult for me.
“I’m getting ready for Indian Wells and just trying to get back to full health. And I still have a bit of time, so I’m just looking forward to doing my best to be ready for that.”
The 23-year-old remains in a good position at No 25 in the world rankings and will hope for a strong showing at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which begins on March 4 – live on Sky Sports Tennis.
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