Emma Raducanu lost in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open. Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Emma Raducanu's Coach on Hot Seat After Australian Open

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 11:55 AM ET

Emma Raducanu's young career has been defined by her 2021 US Open title, injuries, and a revolving door of coaches. Last August, Raducanu finally settled on Francisco Riog as her head coach after cycling through interim coaches all season.

The results have been bad for both parties. Since partnering with Riog, Raducanu has a singles record of 7-9. Her latest loss came today in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open.

Anastasia Potapova defeated Raducanu in straight sets: 7-6 (3), 6-2. Raducanu served well, but had 19 forehand unforced errors. Commentators remarked on her disagreements with Riog, who was sitting courtside in her coaching box.

Raducanu says that after winning the U.S. Open as a qualifier at age 18, she was always going to have some inevitable lows & challenges to overcome, ‘It was too high to just be going on so early. I think I’ve accepted that’

“That night in New York a few years ago, if someone had… pic.twitter.com/k6m2ybL59p
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 21, 2026

Raducanu admitted that she had dealt with injuries during the offseason and spent the remaining time working on her forehand. After today's match, she said she would take a few days to reevaluate before hitting the practice court, as she is not playing the way she wants to.

"I think I want to be playing a different way," said Raducanu in her post-match press conference. "And I think the misalignment with how I'm playing right now and how I want to be playing is something that I just want to work on."

In today's episode of The Tennis Podcast, co-host Catherine Whitaker said she expected to hear an announcement of a coaching change coming from Raducanu's camp. Whitaker is not alone as tennis fans are speculating the same after five unsuccessful months between Raducanu and Riog.

Emma talks about how she wants to move her game forward pic.twitter.com/H3RuRA0yO4
— Raducanu News (@RaducanuNews) January 21, 2026

In December, we said Raducanu was one of five players who should try to hire Carlos Alcaraz's ex-coach as it was clear that her partnership with Riog was not going to work based on the small sample size.

It is important to remember that Raducanu is just 23 years old. She has overcome some serious injuries and rehabilitation to climb up to WTA World No. 29. Finding a consistent coaching staff must be her top priority right now.

The 2026 Australian Open runs through January 31 for the women and February 1 for the men.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: