New Coach, New Chapter: Emma Raducanu teams up with Rafael Nadal’s longtime ally

Emma Raducanu has reportedly confirmed her new coach, the Spaniard Francisco Roig, who worked with Rafael Nadal for 18 years. The former US Open champion has not found much stability with her coaching team since winning her major title in 2021, and the hiring of Roig has reportedly been finalized at least until the end of the year.

Raducanu’s constant coaching changes throughout her career, with several lasting only a couple of weeks, are well known. The Brit recently teamed up with Mark Petchey to advise her, but the TV commentator had no intention of a permanent association, so Raducanu was in search of a coach who could be with her 100% of the time.

And she has found a name with extensive experience in Francisco Roig. The Spaniard worked for 18 years with Rafael Nadal, serving as the second coach to "Uncle Toni" Nadal. The Spaniard also had a collaboration with Matteo Berrettini during the 2022-2023 seasons.

According to journalist Matthew Lambwell, the partnership with Roig would begin at the upcoming Cincinnati Open, where they would meet to start their period of work together. The association will extend at least until the end of the year.

This does not mean that Petchey is completely out of the equation. As Lambwell added on his X account, Petchey would continue to serve as an advisor to Raducanu in the near future, something that the British coach himself had speculated in the past.

Raducanu has had a good start to the North American hardcourt swing so far, reaching the semifinals of the DC Open—her first WTA 500 semifinal—and then getting a couple of wins in Montreal, where she fell to the fifth seed, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round. Despite not being able to advance further, Raducanu now has a record of 5 wins and 2 losses on hardcourts and will surely arrive in Cincinnati with more confidence, where she will have a new element on her team.

Henman's advice and the stakes in Cincinnati

Former British No. 1 Tim Henman recently gave his opinion on Emma Raducanu’s work with Mark Petchey, with the long term in mind. Although the British coach had said that he would not work long-term with Raducanu, Henman valued what he has contributed to the 22-year-old player.

“This is not about the next four weeks for Emma, it’s about the next four years and where she can go,” said Henman. “What is success? It is for her to get back into the top 30 or maybe the top 10? It’s about being the best version of yourself and maximising your potential.”

“Now she has got a good team around her and I hope she sticks with it. Petch[ey] has been around the game for a long time and has been good for her. She has played lots of tournaments, been on court for a lot of matches and built up that physical resilience over what is a long season,” he added.

The 2021 US Open champion reached No. 33 a week ago, putting her on the verge of a seeded position in the upcoming US Open, but her loss in the third round of the Canadian Open caused her to drop back to No. 38, putting her several spots behind. She will have one last opportunity to secure a seeded position if she can perform well in the Cincinnati Open, with the goal of advancing at least a couple of rounds.