Latest news with #Platenik
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu's coach makes shock admission after two-week stint
Emma Raducanu dismissed her coach, Vlado Platenik, after only two weeks. Platenik had joined Raducanu for the Indian Wells and Miami Open tournaments. Despite the short time together, Platenik noted Raducanu's rapid improvement, particularly in footwork and serving, claiming she improved faster than any of his previous students. Raducanu's management stated the collaboration wasn't progressing in the desired direction. This marks another coaching change for Raducanu, who has had seven coaches during her professional career.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu ended coaching trial because of ‘pressure', says Vladimir Platenik
Vladimir Platenik cited Emma Raducanu's troubled mental state for her decision to end their coaching trial after only two weeks. The former US Open champion had announced she would be working with experienced Slovakian Platenik ahead of a first-round loss in Indian Wells, with the expectation it would continue for at least a few months. But, after working together in the build-up to the Miami Open, Raducanu decided before her opening match – a comprehensive victory over Japanese teenager Sayaka Ishii – that the partnership was not heading in the right direction. It has been a difficult year so far for the 22-year-old, whose previous partnership with Nick Cavaday ended because of the coach's ill health, while she was then left cowering in tears on court in Dubai because of the presence of a 'fixated' man. Platenik told the BBC: 'I totally understand Emma, she's not in an easy position. The world is looking at her after the US Open and everybody is expecting – including herself – what she is going to do next. 'So for me it's absolutely understandable that she's under a lot of pressure. She told me she was feeling stressed. 'There are no hard feelings from my side. She finished the relationship in a fair way, maybe too quickly, but this is tennis, this is sport. We need to respect that. 'She was not feeling OK, and that was her decision. I didn't want to go into deeper communication about that. I think the player needs to feel good, and the player needs to make a decision. Sometimes you make a good decision, and sometimes bad.' Raducanu cut a relaxed and happy figure at the Australian Open, where she reached the third round for the first time, so it is concerning to hear Platenik's assessment. He, nevertheless, believes the pair made good progress in their short time together, adding: 'I was very happy because I really must say that I never had a player improving that fast.' Raducanu is being helped in Miami by mentor Jane O'Donoghue and Lawn Tennis Association coach Colin Beecher.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu's ex-coach makes surprising revelation after two-week stint
Emma Raducanu dismissed her latest coach, Vlado Platenik, after just 14 days on the job but the Slovakian has made a surprising revelation about his short time in charge. The 49-year-old linked up with Raducanu on short notice in Indian Wells, before the Brit lost to Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets, then continued working with her ahead of the Miami Open – where she beat world No 188 Sayaka Ishii in style in the first round on Wednesday. But Platenik wasn't courtside for the match following a phone call the previous evening in which he was relieved of his duties after just a fortnight. Raducanu's management team released a statement, saying: 'Emma has the utmost respect for Vlado and the work they started but it wasn't quite heading in the right direction.' The 22-year-old Raducanu is renowned for burning through coaches, having had seven different people take up the role during her short professional career to date. Despite the eye-openingly short tenure, Platenik had nothing but positive things to say about Raducanu and even revealed that she was learning at a quicker rate than any of his former charges. In an interview with The Telegraph, Platenik said: 'I never had a player who improved as fast as Emma,' said Platenik. 'We had a hard but good eight or nine days of practice. We worked a bit differently than she was used to, improving a lot especially on footwork positioning. 'Emma said she wanted to pause the collaboration. I understand that she is under a lot of pressure and it's not easy for her, so I respect her decision. 'I wish I had more time with her. But that's sport, Emma is super talented and I hope she could take some of my advice for the future. I wish her all the best.' Platenik had expected to continue coaching Raducanu at least until the French Open in late May but the Brit will now presumably search for another new coach as a permanent replacement for Nick Cavaday, who stood down for health reasons in January. Ahead of the Miami Open, the Platenik had been focusing on improving the 2021 US Open champion's serve, which fell apart at the Australian Open when she threw in 24 double faults across just three matches. Raducanu had hurt her back in the off-season and was trying to change her service technique to cope with that. During the win over Ishii in Miami, Raducanu sent down just one double fault and was only broken once, suggesting that Platenik's work was already having an effect 'We also improved the serve with higher toss, and worked a lot on second serve where she also had a bad toss,' he explained. 'Now she can use the kick-serve more and be more aggressive even on second serve 'I really like her progress and I liked the way she played her match in the first round. It was a very clean match technically and tactically. If she can keep stabilising those things we were working on, she can get back into the world's top 20, but I am always careful about setting limits. If a girl is working there are no limits.'
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Stress and pressure' ended Raducanu coach link-up
Coach Vladimir Platenik says his very brief partnership with Emma Raducanu ended because the Briton "was feeling stressed and under a lot of pressure".Platenik told BBC Sport he was "absolutely surprised" but "not angry" when the 22-year-old called off the arrangement after only two conversation took place after 10 days of training and on the eve of the British number two's first-round match at the Miami Open on Wednesday."I totally understand Emma, she's not in an easy position. The world is looking at her after the US Open [which she won in 2021] and everybody is expecting - including herself - what she is going to do next," Platenik said."So for me it's absolutely understandable that she's under a lot of pressure. She told me she was feeling stressed."There are no hard feelings from my side. She finished the relationship in a fair way, maybe too quickly, but this is tennis, this is sport. We need to respect that."She was not feeling OK, and that was her decision. I didn't want to go into deeper communication about that. I think the player needs to feel good, and the player needs to make a decision. Sometimes you make a good decision, and sometimes bad."Platenik said Raducanu's father Ian, with whom he exchanges messages from time to time, asked him at the end of last month whether he could recommend a daughter had been without a permanent coach since Nick Cavaday stood down for health reasons in explained that he initially suggested someone else's name, but was soon back in touch when his partnership with New Zealander Lulu Sun came to an unanticipated 49-year-old Slovak promptly boarded a flight to Indian Wells and arrived on site a day before Raducanu's defeat by Moyuka Uchijima of Japan, and said he was "surprised by the way Emma was working.""She was not really able to stay in the rallies, there were a lot of problems to play on the move with the different speed, different spin and different angle," he said."We had a good discussion, the communication was good from her side. I was very happy because I really must say that I never had a player improving that fast - in eight, nine days."She was getting a lot of things very fast. And I think it also showed in the first round [victory over Sayaka Ishii in Miami]. She was playing very correct, technically and tactically - exactly what we were practising, so I'm happy and I hope that she could take something out of my help." Platenik open to return in the future Raducanu's representatives said she has the "utmost respect" for Platenik but the relationship "wasn't quite heading in the right direction".She said at Indian Wells that Platenik was "very serious and very professional", but stressed it was too early to know how they would get on, both on and off the who has enjoyed success with Daria Kasatkina and Dominika Cibulkova, said they had made a tentative agreement to work together until the French Open - and he would be very open to work with Raducanu again in the future if she changes her mind."She needs to feel good. If she comes back in six months and says 'Vlado, I made a mistake because actually it was working and I just needed to try to find myself', it's OK - this is life," he said."You need to search for your best, you need to learn and only time will show what decision she will make and if they were correct or not."Platenik also confirmed that a very outspoken interview he gave to the Slovak newspaper Dennik N had caused some tension in the relationship. He suggested Raducanu had "gone through hell" in the aftermath of her 2021 US Open victory."Emma is stressed also about the newspaper article, so the agent made this comment: 'It's maybe a little bit unfortunate, but I'm not angry'," he added."I'm always saying the truth, because tennis is an honest sport."I was always honest, maybe I was too honest and a lot of players and parents and people around players don't like it, but tennis is an honest sport."
New York Times
19-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Emma Raducanu and coach Vladimir Platenik part ways after just one match
Emma Raducanu and coach Vladimir Platenik have parted ways after working together for just one match, her management team confirmed on Wednesday. Platenik started working with Raducanu on a trial basis two weeks ago and was present during her first-round defeat at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. to Moyuka Uchijima on March 6. Advertisement However, Platenik, 49, was not seen in her box for Raducanu's 6-2, 6-1 victory over Sayaka Ishii at the Miami Open on Wednesday. After the match a representative from her team at IMG confirmed the split, stating that: 'Emma has the utmost respect for Vlado and the work they started but it wasn't quite heading in the right direction.' Platenik, a respected coach who has worked previously with top-10 players Daria Kasatkina and Dominika Cibulkova, and most recently Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun, said in an interview with Slovakian outlet Dennik N two weeks ago that he expected to be working with Raducanu until and including the French Open. But Raducanu has now decided to move in a different direction after working with Platenik in Miami in the lead-up to the tournament. The last month has been extremely challenging for Raducanu, after a male spectator exhibited 'fixated behavior' towards her during her match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships on February 18. Raducanu became visibly upset when she spotted the spectator, who had approached her at a cafe a day earlier. The man gave her a letter containing his name and contact details and a printed photo of herself. After weighing up whether to take a break from tennis, Raducanu travelled to Indian Wells the following week with her fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura and British coach Tom Welsh, who supported her for the tournament. Platenik then joined the team, as Raducanu continued her search for a permanent coach to replace Nick Cavaday, who stepped down in January after more than a year in the role amid health concerns. If we include Platenik, Raducanu is now looking for an eighth coach in less than four years. Next up for her is a second-round Miami Open match against the American world No. 10 Emma Navarro on Friday. That's the focus for now, as the search continues for a new coach. 'Emma is now focused on doing as well as she can here in Miami after her solid start today and will continue looking for the right coach,' her team said on Wednesday. ()
