Emma Raducanu's reason for axing countless coaches as Rafael Nadal's former ally appointed
British tennis star Emma Raducanu has appointed Rafael Nadal's former mentor, Francisco Roig, to join her coaching carousel. The move follows Raducanu's candid admission about her high turnover of coaches, suggesting her relentless questioning might be overwhelming for some.
The young tennis sensation has had a revolving door of coaches in recent years, including Nigel Sears, Vladimir Platenik, Nick Cavaday, Sebastian Sachs and US Open ally Andrew Richardson. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 in 2023, the Grand Slam winner confessed her "challenging" nature and constant probing could be why she has seen so many mentors come and go.
"I ask my coaches a lot of questions," she said, via the Daily Express."On certain occasions, they haven't been able to keep up with the questions I've asked, and maybe that's why it ended.
"It's something I've always done. I keep provoking and asking questions to coaches and challenging their thinking as well. I'm not someone that you can just tell me what to do and I'll do it, I need to understand why and then I'll do it."
Fresh from her exit at the Canadian Open, where she was bested by American Amanda Anisimova, Raducanu is set to compete in the Cincinnati Open. This tournament will serve as her final tune-up before the US Open later in August, with Roig now part of her entourage.
Mark Petchey has been assisting Raducanu on a casual basis since March, but with his media duties during the US hardcourt season, Raducanu will turn to Nadal's former mentor for support. The duo, who discussed plans at Wimbledon, are now focused on boosting Raducanu's rankings in time to secure seeding for the year's fourth and final Grand Slam.
Raducanu's quest for a stable coaching relationship has been challenging as she has cycled through seven significant coaching partnerships since her 2021 US Open triumph. Nonetheless, her recent performances under Petchey's guidance, particularly her fierce match against Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon, have shown progress.
Despite a commendable showing against the world No. 1 and exiting the tournament, Raducanu's efforts indicated a successful upturn in form. However, Petchey himself acknowledged in July that he couldn't commit to a full-time coaching position due to his television work.
"I think at the moment we are a bit more short-term," he said. "Our situation is a little fluid at the moment. I am going to help her this week as much as I can. I have some other commitments I can't get out of.
"We are very aware she needs a second coach to come on board and maybe just one coach, not me, as well. All I am trying to do is facilitate the best possible environment for Emma to produce the tennis she can.
"Whether that involves me or does not involve me is not a question that I'm worried about. We are just trying to find something that will be stable or good for her."
Raducanu will hope Roig's guidance benefits her game on court. The Spanish coach certainly understands what it takes to achieve greatness, having worked alongside 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal for most of his illustrious career.
Speaking previously to L'Equipe in 2022 about his approach with the tennis legend, Roig, whose partnership with Matteo Berrettini was short-lived, revealed that pushing through adversity was a key element of his support for Nadal: "There were many periods when he couldn't work as hard as he would have liked because of physical problems.
"There were many periods when he couldn't work as hard as he would have liked because of physical problems. The more time passed, the more demanding he became of himself in training. Quality eventually took precedence over volume, but it was rare to see him finish sessions satisfied."
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