Emma Raducanu’s journey since her historic US Open win has been anything but smooth. The 2025 season started on a rocky note. After withdrawing from the Auckland Open due to a back injury, Raducanu’s Australian Open run showed glimpses of promise—defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova before falling to world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. However, in a further blow, Raducanu’s coach, Nick Cavaday, resigned in January due to health issues, leaving the 22-year-old to rethink her team. Raducanu, who is still wondering for coach, has reunited with a familiar face for now.
Raducanu is now set to compete in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, where she will face former Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová in the first round. Initially reported having received a wildcard for qualifying, Raducanu is now confirmed in the main draw.
The 2021 US Open champion has added Roman Kelecic to her team. Kelecic, who previously worked with her during her ITF tour in her teens, rejoins as she continues training under fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura.
Raducanu had her reasons for joining hands with her childhood coach. Brit, speaking to National, said, “He travelled with me when I was like 14,15, in the junior ITFs; we went to all the glamorous places together when we were younger in the juniors.”
“And we haven’t honestly seen each other in so many years. But he’s based out of Dubai, and I think in this situation, I mean, I wanted to see him anyway, to catch up. So I texted him to catch up, and now he’s on court with me, so he’s going to help me out this week,” she added further.
Emma will work with Roman Kelecic this week in Abu Dhabi.
Kelecic worked with Emma when she was a junior and is based in Dubai pic.twitter.com/qil4EMfiEj
— Emma Raducanu Fans (@RaducanuNews) February 2, 2025
The makeshift announcement of Roman Kelecic comes after Nick Cavaday’s resignation marks another coaching shake-up in Emma Raducanu’s career.
After 14 months together—during which he helped her climb back into the top 60 following surgeries on both wrists and an ankle—Cavaday stepped down, saying, “At this moment in time, it’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritize getting back to full health, which is hard to do with the extensive calendar. I am glad Emma is back to being established on tour now.”
For now, Raducanu is focused on the Abu Dhabi Open. The Brit is searching for a new permanent coach and has outlined exactly what she wants in her next mentor.
Emma Raducanu outlines what she is looking in a new coach
Emma Raducanu is searching for yet another coach after Nick Cavaday, her sixth in four years, has stepped away after just over a year together. It all started since her magical 2021 US Open run. Since then, Raducanu has struggled to find stability, both in her game and in her coaching setup.
She first worked with Nigel Sears, who helped guide her Wimbledon Quarterfinal breakthrough. Then came Andrew Richardson, who was there for her history-making US Open title—but didn’t stay long. Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs… all came and went. Now, it’s back to square one.
Raducanu, who has seen it all, has made sure that her next choice is meticulous. On her next coaching decision, she said, “It’s a decision that I want to take my time with,” she admitted. “I think that’s why I haven’t necessarily jumped into something straight away, because I want to make sure it’s a right fit.”
For now, she’s using this time to reflect. “I don’t necessarily have someone right now, and that’s going to tell me a lot,” she said. “It’s going to teach me what I want, what I don’t want. I’m using this period to figure out what I really value.”
Emma Raducanu is carefully considering her options for a new permanent coach, prioritizing the best fit over a quick hire. Let’s hope she finds one soon.
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