Emma Raducanu Enjoys a Strong Year, Finds Successful Coaching Setup
This year marks a notable comeback for Emma Raducanu, who has finally stabilized her coaching situation. Earlier in the year, she brought Mark Petchey into her team, and their collaboration quickly bore fruit as they reached the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
The duo continued to achieve significant victories, but Petchey faced challenges in committing as Raducanu’s permanent coach due to prior media obligations. Consequently, Raducanu appointed Francisco Roig as her head coach before the US Open, allowing Petchey to part ways.
Roig, a former coach of Rafael Nadal, is making minor adjustments to Raducanu’s gameplay, which helped her reach the third round in New York. Notably, Laura Robson, a former British player, analyzed Raducanu’s second-round victory and recalled Petchey’s observations regarding Raducanu’s challenges.
Mark Petchey Discusses Raducanu’s Challenges Against Elite Players
During her coverage for Sky Sports, Robson mentioned Petchey’s insights when he was working with Raducanu. He pointed out that Raducanu struggled to hit with enough power to compete with top players, mentioning specifically that she found it difficult to match the shot-by-shot intensity against competitors like [Aryna] Sabalenka.
Robson noted that while Raducanu has excellent movement and counter-punching abilities, she needed to find innovative ways to apply pressure without resorting to a reckless playing style. It seems that Raducanu is beginning to discover that balance, as evidenced by her performance in the second round.
Robson Applauds Raducanu’s Strong Victory Over Janice Tjen
In the second round of the US Open, Raducanu displayed her skills by defeating Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in a convincing straight-sets win, 6-2, 6-1. Robson commended Raducanu for her focus, especially in what could have been a challenging match.
Robson expressed how Raducanu delivered a solid performance, particularly given the pressure of expectations in facing an opponent who was having a good tournament. Her decisive strokes and intent were evident from the outset, highlighting a marked improvement in her game.
Looking ahead, Robson is excited about Raducanu’s third-round match against Elena Rybakina on August 29, saying that they were pleasantly surprised by Raducanu’s consistency. “It will be thrilling to see how she performs,” commented Robson, hinting at her anticipation for the upcoming challenge.
