Emma Raducanu's new coach was swiftly axed by star who made telling eight-word comment
Emma Raducanu appears to have taken a gamble in recruiting Francis Roig to her coaching team. That's because he didn't see eye-to-eye with former mentee Matteo Berrettini.
And Raducanu has been known to butt heads with plenty of her previous coaches. While the Spaniard spent nearly two decades achieving remarkable success in Rafael Nadal's coaching setup, his recent stint with current world No. 36 Berrettini proved fleeting.
A comment made by the Italian following their parting of ways might worry Raducanu. Berrettini admitted in eight telling words: "It's true that we saw some things differently."
Roig assisted in coaching Nadal, alongside the Spaniard's uncle Toni, from 2005 through to 2022. The following year saw him team up with former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini.
Yet while his partnership with Nadal endured for years, his role with Berrettini concluded within 12 months. Speaking about their separation, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist explained in October: "It wasn't an easy choice, but it was mutual.
"He has helped me a lot on this journey back, helped me improve, but it's true that we saw some things differently. It was a completely professional decision, so I truly thank him for everything he did for me; we have had a successful year. Now it's time to turn the page towards a new chapter, hopefully with the best waiting in the future."
Raducanu has delivered an impressive run of tournament performances while collaborating with coach Mark Petchey in an unofficial capacity, featuring progress to the Citi Open semi-finals and quarter-final appearances at Queen's and the Miami Open.
However, Petchey maintains numerous television obligations that stop him from mentoring Raducanu full-time. As a result, the 22-year-old has now decided to bring in Roig on a deal running until the year's end after a promising trial period following Wimbledon, reports the Express.
The British women's No. 1 delivered another solid performance in her most recent tournament at the Canadian Open. She defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Peyton Stearns in straight sets in Montreal before falling to this year's Wimbledon runner-up, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round.
The loss has seen Raducanu slip to 38th in the WTA rankings and left her needing to climb the ladder to secure a top-32 seeding for this month's US Open. She now requires a strong showing at the forthcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, where the ranking points available could enhance her prospects of securing more favourable early-round draws at Flushing Meadows. Alongside Roig, Raducanu impressed at Wimbledon this summer.
The youngster made light work of Mingge Xu and Markéta Vondroušová in her opening rounds before meeting WTA No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the third round. Unfortunately for the Briton, her singles tournament ended there and then, suffering a 7-6 6-4 loss to be sent packing from the courts of SW19.
As for Petchey, he explained his position a few weeks ago, saying: 'I have some other commitments I can't get out of. Look, we are very aware she needs a second coach to come in on board, and maybe just one coach, not me as well.
'All I am trying to do here is try to facilitate the best possible environment for Emma to produce the tennis that she can, whether that involves me or doesn't involve me, it's really not a question I'm worried about. It just means we are trying to find something that is going to be really stable and good for her.'
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