With seven coaches in under four years, Emma Raducanu’s search for a consistent partnership has been a prominent storyline for a long time now. Since January, following Nick Cavaday’s departure due to health reasons and a brief trial with Vladimir Platenik, Raducanu has navigated the tour without a full-time coach. Intriguingly, the Miami Open saw familiar faces in her box – former mentors Jane O’Donoghue and Mark Petchey. This reunion coincided with Raducanu’s strongest performance of the year (also since winning the 2021 US Open), reaching the quarterfinals. Her own words, describing O’Donoghue and Petchey as “really good people around me who I trust,” hinted at a potential reconciliation. Following Miami, Raducanu opted out of the BJK Cup qualifiers to focus on training and recovery ahead of the Madrid Open. As she prepares for her Madrid campaign, the question remains: what is her current coaching situation with Mark Petchey?
Talking about her “ideal coach“, Raducanu once revealed, “I would say work ethic and a genuine passion and enthusiasm for what they do. I’d say someone who doesn’t necessarily view what they do as work, someone who genuinely has that drive and hunger to achieve the best and win big titles.” Raducanu’s 8th potential coach, Petchey, comes with vast experience. He coached an 18-year-old Andy Murray for 10 months, during which he won his first ATP title, and had also previously worked with Emma Raducanu during the pandemic (2020) at the National Tennis Center in London. So, there’s already mutual respect and rapport between the two. But that’s not the extend of it!
Leading up to her Madrid Open opener against Dutch world No. 69 Suzan Lamens on Wednesday, Emma Raducanu spoke with Sky Sports Tennis. “I’ve realised now that less is more for me sometimes. I work really intense and really hard and can definitely be partial to overkilling it sometimes,” she began. “It’s just making sure when I’m on the court I’m maxing out for X amount of time so I can focus, and then once I’m done, I’m switching off better.”
“You hear a lot that people need matches, and I say the same thing. Matches definitely help, but there’s a time and a place. There are other times where you just need to reset and get your bearings, because the season is very long. I’m trying to take it day-by-day but I knew at that point in the season [post-Miami Open] I needed some time off,” she added. But taking time off doesn’t solve her coaching woes, does it?
Hence, came a moment in the interview when she opened up on whether she has decided on any agreement with Petchey. “We haven’t made anything formal. It’s pretty informal for now but is something that’s going really well. He’s [Petchey] someone I feel I can trust because I’ve known him so long. For now, it’s working really well, and it’s nice to be with someone that I feel comfortable with. I’m still figuring things out: what works for me, what doesn’t. What gets the best out of me. For now, I’m not getting as technical as I used to, maybe.”
Following her quarterfinal performance at the Miami Open, Emma Raducanu made the decision to prioritize a dedicated training block. The 2021 US Open champion spent time in Los Angeles, where she worked with Petchey for almost 10 days before heading back to Europe. Adding more to that, she further said,
“I was just working on movement and adapting and getting used to the court surface…I did some great work with Mark out there, it was nice to be around him, not just on the court. He’s someone I get on really well with, and we always have very thought-provoking, interesting conversations. It was a perfect balance of work and being relaxed off the court.“
Besides, the news of Mark Petchey’s renewed involvement in Emma Raducanu’s team has sparked considerable discussion within the tennis community. While acknowledging Petchey as a “great fit,” Andy Roddick voiced a concern echoed by many: Raducanu’s history of frequent coaching changes might make it challenging to attract a long-term, top-tier coach. Addressing the topic of her inconsistency, Jon Wertheim referenced Roddick’s earlier point, drawing a comparison to the Williams sisters, whose sustained success was built upon a “consistent…strategy.” How does Emma Raducanu see these opinions?
“It’s really difficult because I think every decision I make is made on such a big scale that it’s up for judgment. I just need to get to a place where I’m comfortable enough and secure enough in what I’m doing that it doesn’t matter what other people are saying,” she said in another interview with BBC, recently. Now, since she has found herself in a much “comfortable” zone with Petchey, can she come up with a strong performance on the clay-court swing?
Tennis experts are optimistic about Emma Raducanu despite a tough Madrid Open draw
Emma Raducanu will be in action at the Madrid Open on Wednesday (April 23). The world number 49 has been handed a daunting draw at this iconic clay event in the Spanish capital. She will face the Dutch player Suzan Lamens in the first round. Lamens has arrived in Madrid after a strong performance at the Open de Rouen, where she reached the SF. If Raducanu wins this match, she could face Marta Kostyuk in the next round. Currently, their H2H record is at 1-1! After that lies another big challenge, with a possible chance of facing Paula Badosa in the third round followed by a chance of meeting Qinwen Zheng in the fourth round.
Suppose Raducanu gets through all these rounds, then there is a higher possibility of her facing the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in the QF and the in-form American Jessica Pegula in the SF, before heading into an ultimate battle against the defending champion Iga Swiatek or America’s Coco Gauff in the final. Does Raducanu have a chance of excelling on the clay courts, though?
According to former WTA pro, Laura Robson, “I’m sure Emma would like to do well on clay and grass this year and play a full schedule. Clay is great for developing all areas of the game…Madrid is always so different to Rome and it might be that one set of conditions suits Emma better than the other.“
Another tennis legend, Tim Henman, said, “She talks about having fun and being authentic, that gives her the opportunity of expressing herself on the court. That being said, she does it differently. She is very comfortable. She’s changed coaches.” He further added, “I think the big positive this year is that she’s been able to compete more consistently and hopefully the results are going to come.”
Emma Raducanu’s journey at the Madrid Open has seen a mix of results. On her debut at the event in 2022, she made a notable run to the third round. However, her return to the tournament in 2024 saw a first-round exit. How far do you think she can reach this time around?
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