Emma Raducanu adds Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig to team full-time
However, Petchey's TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu's full-time coach and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week after he agreed a contract until the end of 2025.
Raducanu has struggled to settle with a coach in recent years until her part-time work with Petchey started to pay dividends earlier this season.
A post shared by @emmaraducanu
A WTA 1000 quarter-final showing at the Miami Open in March was followed by a round-of-16 run at the Italian Open before she made the last eight in the first women's tournament at Queen's Club.
Aryna Sabalenka proved too strong for Raducanu in round three at Wimbledon, but this was backed up by a semi-final at the Citi Open as the British number one targets being seeded at the US Open later this month.
TV commentator Petchey, who worked with Andy Murray at the start of his career, revealed in July that Raducanu would need to find a full-time coach soon and she has in Roig.
Spanish coach Roig worked with Nadal alongside Nadal's uncle Toni for the majority of the 22-time grand slam champion's career and more recently was part of Matteo Berrettini's backroom staff.
Raducanu will stay close to Petchey, PA understands, but turns her focus back to rising up the WTA rankings with a strong display at the Cincinnati Open over the next fortnight.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
US Open 2025: When is the draw, how to watch on TV, Raducanu and Alcaraz doubles details
The US Open is fast approaching as players gear up for the hard-court event in Flushing Meadows, New York, later this month. After the Canadian Open concludes this week, the Cincinnati Open follows, which will be the last chance for most players to fine-tune their preparations ahead of a grand slam event, which has some changes this year. Skip to: Draw details How to watch How to buy US Open tickets Prize money When do the US Open finals take place? New to 2025 British players at the US Open Latest odds When does the US Open start? The singles draw will begin on Sunday, August 24. The tournament follows the Australian and French Open in becoming a 15-day competition. It means the men's and women's singles first rounds play out over the opening three days. When is the US Open draw? The singles draw will be announced on Thursday, August 21. How to watch the US Open on TV and streaming in the UK Sky Sports has the broadcasting rights to show the US Open live from Flushing Meadows. Gigi Salmon is presenting the coverage alongside the likes of Tim Henman, Laura Robson, Martina Navratilova, Marion Bartoli, Karthi Gnanasegaram, Feliciano Lopez, Naomi Cavaday and Jonathan Overend. How to watch the US Open on TV in the US ESPN have the broadcasting rights to show the tournament for the 17th consecutive year. ESPN's networks will showcase first-to-last-ball coverage with 170+ hours on TV via ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Where is the US Open held? The home of the US Open is the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. How to buy US Open tickets You can buy tickets here. What is the US Open prize money? The 2025 prize money breakdown is yet to be announced. Last year, the men's and women's singles champions took home £2.8 million and the runners-up earned £1.4 million. At Wimbledon this year, the men's and women's singles champions won £3 million. When do the US Open finals take place? The women's final takes place on Saturday, September 6, and the men's final the following day, Sunday September 7. New for 2025 Mixed Doubles competition Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz have been confirmed as wild card entries in this year's US Open mixed doubles event. The mixed doubles championship will take place before the main tournament on August 19 and 20, where $1m (£750,000) in prize money is at stake for the winners. The event has been revamped, taking place before the main singles draw begins. It will consist of best-of-three-set matches, with short sets of up to four games and no-ad in games that reach a score of deuce (40-all), meaning that the winner of the next point wins the game. If the teams split sets, a 10-point match tie-break will be played instead of a third set. The first team to earn 10 points in the tie-break, with an advantage of two or more points – will win the match. The final will be a best-of-three-set match, with sets maxing out at six games. Raducanu and Alcaraz – who can expect to be given a portmanteau nickname of either 'Alcaranu' or 'Raducaraz' – are one of six teams who have received wild cards so far and two further wild cards are set to be announced at a later date to take the overall number of teams competing to 16. Eight of the total 16 pairs have received direct entry into the draw, including Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner along with Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud. Britain's Jack Draper is also in the main draw, paired with Paula Badosa and US duo Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul will play together in front of their home crowd. British players at the US Open Men's singles Qualified automatically Jack Draper Cameron Norrie Jacob Fearnley Qualifying tournament TBC Women's singles Qualified automatically Emma Raducanu Katie Boulter Sonay Kartal Qualifying tournament TBC Who are the defending champions? Jannik Sinner was too strong for Taylor Fritz as he won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. In the 2024 women's singles final, Aryna Sabalenka kept her nerve to defeat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Dundee Utd tax accusations explained: HMRC allegedly scammed out £1m
R&D tax relief was created in 2000. The aim was to fund and facilitate advances in science and technology such as a new drug or a form of artificial intelligence. ZLX, a firm established by former Hamilton Academical director Stephen McCallion, advised the wholesaler that installing a cold room could attract £30,000 in R&D tax relief. Robbie Patterson's accountant took a different view. And when James Mackie Wholesalers changed their minds over making an R&D relief claim ZLX pursued legal action in pursuit of the £8000 fee they believed they would have received if the the transaction had gone ahead. In Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Stuart Reid was critical of ZLX and rejected the claim. The subsequent publicity concerning a tax row over a fridge attracted the the interest of Dan Neidle, a former lawyer with one of the world's largest law firms. Niedle advised corporates, governments, regulators and central banks now runs Tax Policy Associates, a not-for-profit company found to improve tax and legal policy and public understanding of the complex issues involved. As he tells Herald Sport now: 'Not only did ZLX think that they could make a claim for a fridge but then they got the poor guy, the greengrocer, in to court to try and force him to do it. And they were humiliated.' The case prompted Neidle – a thorn in the side of former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Baroness Michelle Mone - to pay closer attention to some of the other R&D tax relief claims submitted by ZLX and he found that Dundee United were one of a number of British football clubs to have benefitted from the scheme. Hibernian, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest were others and it's now believed that 33 clubs in the UK are under investigation by HMRC. United face a £600,000 bill after the club was order to repay a portion of its successful £1.28m claim for research and development tax relief. The tax relief claim covered 24 per cent of staff and player wages from July 1 2021, to June 30 2022. The Tannadice club also claimed for 80% of the club nutritionist's salary, 90% of the player analyst's salary and 21 % of the Tannadice heating and lighting bill. 'R&D relief is designed for people who are being completely innovative and in sport the first people who did data analytics in football could have claimed R&D tax credits for that,' explains Neidle. 'That's a legitimate innovation. 'It's possible that clubs might be doing innovative scientific work, you don't want to say it never happens. 'But not in this Dundee United case. Not based on the description given. 'And you certainly can't claim in court for staff wages as if your players are out there doing scientific research. 'Some people have said that maybe Dundee United didn't know what they were doing, that maybe they were just misled by ZLX. Whatever the reason it's difficult to see how they could have thought that this was legitimate.' Dundee United's tax relief claim centred around The United Lab. Launched in April 2020 the project was set up by former Sporting Director Tony Ashgar, recruitment coordinator Sean McGee, performance consultant Ryland Morgans and head of football research Dan Parnell to broker 'new channels for ideas and innovation.' All four men have now left the club with a Dundee United statement to the Courier confirming that the lab had ceased to exist in 2023. A spokesperson said: 'Dundee United Football Club can confirm we remain in constructive dialogue with HMRC regarding a Research and Development (R&D) tax claim submitted in 2021. 'As this is an ongoing process, we are unable to comment further on the details of the matter at this time. However, the club is fully engaged in the discussions and remains confident in a satisfactory outcome of the process for both parties. 'The R&D initiative known as 'The Dundee United Lab' ceased operations in March 2023 and no longer exists in any form, with all personnel previously involved in the project no longer employed or affiliated with the club in any capacity.' The plot thickened further when United's former finance director denied signing the document made public by Neidle last week. Employed at Tannadice between December 2018 and April 2023 Derek Bond – now a partner with Edinburgh firm Bond Accountants - is seeking legal advice after claiming the signature on the document was not his. The co-signatory on the document was ZLX Business Solutions consultant David Purvis. 'The document I've seen that purports to have my signature on it, isn't my signature,' he told The Courier. 'You can see on the document that someone has just typed 'Derek Bond'. 'That's not my signature on that document. 'I've spoken with a solicitor about that document. I've not signed that document.' Distancing himself from the HMRC investigation he added: 'It's galling, I don't want to be attached. 'There's a document with my name on it. I'm not saying it's forged. But somebody's typed my name and made it look like my signature but it is definitely not my signature.' While ZLX has yet to comment, Dundee United has assured fans the 'historical matter has no impact on the club's current or future operations'. 'HMRC won't say anything on the record,' adds Neidle. 'But I think they woke up rather late to the ways in which this R&D scheme was being abused. But it is an abuse. 'HMRC are pretty sure they will be able to get the cash back on this one. And it wouldn't surprise me if they try to charge penalties as well. Whether Dundee United can pay those as well is an interesting question. 'This is money which is being taken from the pockets of taxpayers at a time when we are all paying more tax because of the lack of tax revenue going into the government this is making it worse for everybody else. 'So, yes, it's an example of football taking money from the rest of us and it's not on. 'There is also a question, I think, for the Scottish League on the grounds of financial fairness. Generating free money by making fake tax claims doesn't seem very fair. 'It may need to go a little further but, really, the football rules should say that clubs are not allowed to do anything improper when it comes to tax.' While SPFL rules on HMRC obligations allow for punishment of tax arrears any disputed claim against a member club by the tax authorities can't be actioned 'until such time as a final determination is made on HMRC's claim.' In 2024 Hibernian also banked £1.2million in tax relief earmarked for research and development and Niedle believes the issue extends well beyond the boundaries of the SPFL Premiership. 'Across the UK we think 33 clubs are being investigated by HMRC across the UK over sums totally £13million. 'It's possible that some of them are not as crap as Dundee United's claim. It's equally possible that some of them are worse.' Earlier this year Neidle was invited to speak on a radio programme about the impact of Employee Benefits Trusts on football clubs in Britain. The financial impact on Rangers on the scheme proved catastrophic in 2012, posing an obvious question. When will football clubs actually learn their lesson when it comes to iffy tax schemes? 'You will know the answer to that better than me. 'The problem is that when you put that money into the pockets of well paid footballers public sympathy is likely to be thin on the ground. 'But I suspect that people who are desperate for money are not as critical as they should be when they are faced with free bags of cash…'
