Emma Raducanu makes surprising comments after sealing Miami Open quarter-final place
Emma Raducanu has suggested that her brief partnership with coach Vlado Platenik may have contributed to her impressive return to form at the Miami Open.
Raducanu beat Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-3 to storm into her first quarter-final in a WTA 1000 tournament, with her unexpected return to form coming just a few days after her split with Platenik.
The 2021 US Open champion disposed of her latest coach after just one match working with him, but she suggested the brief time they spent together may have had a lasting impact.
“I think the work that we did before the tournament, I mean, it wasn’t long. It was only maybe two weeks, ten days, but we did some really good work,” said Raducanu.
“I think I’m getting some benefits on the match court right now from what we did.
“He is a great coach. He’s so experienced. He’s worked with so many players and brought them up to the top and developed players. So, yeah, I respect him a lot as a coach.
“I think for me it just, I guess, wasn’t right at the time, and I’m not sure going forward, but I think this week was a great eye-opener to just when I’m happy and expressive and myself.
“I think just having people that I’ve known for a very long time, since before the US Open and just those familiar faces, I think is the most valuable thing for this week at least.
“Yeah, I guess, it’s difficult because I just met him, and it’s difficult to kind of build many years of connection straight away.”
Raducanu has turned to long-time mentors Jane O’Donoghue and Mark Petchey to fill her coaching void in Miami and the familiar faces are bringing the best out of the 22-year-old.
“I think just a relaxed environment, but focused when needs to be,” she added.
“There’s more switching on and off rather than be on the entire time. I’m someone who works really hard and can be really intense, but sometimes too intense.
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“I guess in that way it’s harder to be extremely focused when you need to be on the match court because you’re focused from the first minute to the last.
“So I think just being able to switch off and have fun with them and play Spikeball before the match, and we just create certain routines. Yeah, they bring small doses of happiness that I guess just keep you going, the small things.
“I wasn’t feeling great after Indian Wells, but to come to Miami and then after I stopped with Vlado, to just have familiar faces, people that I knew, people that have really gone through the trenches with me, but also can kind of lift me up at the same time, that I think made a big difference.
“Just having them around, people that I really trust, yeah, I think that’s probably when I started feeling a bit better off the court. That translated on the court. I was freer.”
Raducanu has had the strut back in her stride that carried her to US Open glory and if she can maintain that over the rest of the Miami Open, she will be a threat to lift year another big title.
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