Emma Raducanu hits out at ‘judgement’ she faces and breaks her silence on next coaching appointment
Emma Raducanu has revealed she will continue to work with coach Mark Petchey, even though they have not agreed a formal deal for him to take over as her coach.
Raducanu added Andy Murray’s former coach ahead of last month’s Miami Open, where she reached the quarter-finals and showed her best form since her 2021 US Open win.
After rattling through a host of coaches since her first Grand Slam win in New York three-and-a-half years ago, Petchey appears to be the coach she is most keen to work with now, but she told Sky Sports Tennis that a long-term commitment may not be needed.
“We haven’t made anything formal. It’s pretty informal for now but is something that’s going really well,” she said.
“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.
More Tennis News
Emma Raducanu handed a glorious chance to make a big rankings breakthrough
Emma Raducanu’s ranking, prize money, sponsors and her next tournament
“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.
“It wasn’t the best start to the season for me, and it was just nice to rest the body. At the same time, I needed time to get used to a new surface, because it is very different and it isn’t a surface I’ve spent a lot of time on.
“I was just working on movement and adapting and getting used to the court surface. I feel like in the future, and I’ve always said this, it can be a good surface for me I just need to keep spending some more time on it.
“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.”
In a separate interview with the BBC, Raducanu suggested she did not enjoy the scrutiny her decisions to change coaches frequently creates in the media.
“It’s really difficult, because I think every decision I make is made on such a big scale that it’s up for judgement,” she stated .
“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.
“Over the last few years, that is, truthfully, something that I have been kind of toiling with, because I would care about what people think. I think just in general, in my life, like anytime someone’s upset with me or something, it affects me.”
She went on to outline her views on what works for her on the WTA Tour, as she insisted she does not need to play every week to get the best out of her career.
Former world No 1 Andy Roddick questioned why Raducanu took time away from tennis after her fine run to the Miami Open quarter-finals last month, but she offered up this explanation.
“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 added.
“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.”
Raducanu revealed she had a training block in America after the Miami Open and feels ready to return to court for her first clay court tournament of the season in Madrid this week.
READ NEXT: Who is Emma Raducanu’s Madrid Open Round 1 opponent? Dutch star Suzan Lamens
