Top players using traveling coaches only became commonplace in the 1970s, and the commitment is such that the people in demand among top players \u2014 often so-called super coaches who had successful careers of their own \u2014 are not always willing to dedicate the time along with their other commitments.<\/p>\n
The relationship between tennis players and their coaches<\/a> is also one of the most complex in sports. The player is the employer, not the employee; players and coaches who travel full time will spend 10 months or more together, but the player is left to their own devices on the court when it matters most \u2014 even though tennis has embraced on-court coaching in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some coaching partnerships last decades, and others weeks. Most coaches are hired like any employee<\/a>, but some are mothers or fathers<\/a>, or brothers or sisters. Others are romantic partners; some relationships become inappropriate or abusive. And for a tennis player, the decision on who they choose is part of just one shot at a dream, while coaches may help steward the dreams of myriad players.<\/p>\n Juan Carlos Ferrero, who split with seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> at the end of last season, has described the emotional impact of parting with a player he coached to the pinnacle of the sport as one of hurt and emotion, akin to a breakup; when a partnership does not work, the jettisoning can be brutal and swift, on either side.<\/p>\n Working without one can be appealing to players for many reasons, and Raducanu\u2019s belief in going her own way has precedent across tennis history.<\/p>\n Twenty-time major champion Roger Federer<\/a> is often cited as someone who thrived solo. At the end of 2003, Federer was 22. He had won his first Grand Slam title that year, at Wimbledon. Then he split with Peter Lundgren, his coach of three years, and the following year won three majors without a coach, claiming the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.<\/p>\n Federer had to defend his decision ahead of the 2004 Australian Open, and when he won it, he said in a news conference: \u201cFor me at that moment, it was very difficult to take that decision. But looking back \u2026 I wouldn\u2019t say it was the right one, but it was an important one, because I want to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n He then hired Tony Roche to work with him on a limited basis the following year, before working with Severin Luthi on a similar basis a couple of years later. Federer did not employ another full-time coach until he hired Paul Annacone, formerly coach of Pete Sampras, in 2010.<\/p>\n Federer broke Sampras\u2019 record of 14 major titles during his time without a formal coach, and Annacone said that Federer\u2019s trust in other parts of his entourage was key to that success.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had had a very stable relationship with Pierre Paganini,\u201d (Federer\u2019s fitness trainer) Annacone said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was pretty clear on what he wanted to do and needed to do. And I think people are different \u2014 not better or worse, just different.\u201d<\/p>\n Federer\u2019s great rival, Novak Djokovic, has shifted his approach to coaching throughout his career.<\/p>\n Djokovic worked with Mari\u00e1n Vajda from 2005 to 2022, with a short break between 2017 and 2018, and had lengthy spells with people in the super coach mould: Boris Becker and Goran Ivani\u0161evi\u0107.<\/p>\n After splitting with Ivani\u0161evi\u0107 two years ago, Djokovic considered going solo, and said in a news conference in April 2024 that: \u201cI am considering whether I should or shouldn\u2019t have the coach.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not like I think I don\u2019t need a coach at all. I think there\u2019s always value in having that quality team. \u2026 But I think I\u2019m in the stage of my career where I can afford to maybe think having no coach is also an option.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Emma Raducanu is working with Mark Petchey on an interim basis, but has not ruled out having no coach at all. (Dan Isitene \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Djokovic chose to retain Boris Bo\u0161njakovi\u0107, a longtime assistant coach and analyst, rather than making a formal appointment. Bo\u0161njakovi\u0107 supported Andy Murray during his brief spell in the 24-time Grand Slam champion\u2019s box last year and, Djokovic said Saturday during a news conference at Indian Wells, is currently \u201cfilling in the role of the tennis coach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t have anyone who I can call my primary tennis coach at the moment, and I\u2019m OK with that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel I have what I need. I don\u2019t think that right now I\u2019m ready to, again, at this stage of my career, bring somebody completely new and go through the same process of getting to know each other.<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean that I\u2019m not trying to improve my game or innovate and look for ways to get better on and off the court.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the offseason I brought different people in, and spent some weeks analyzing, deconstructing and reconstructing my game in a sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Djokovic cited his run to the final of this year\u2019s Australian Open, in which he beat Jannik Sinner for the first time in six meetings, as evidence of his approach working.<\/p>\n For Raducanu, key to the decision on when to have a coach is her understanding and intuition for her own tennis. The 23-year-old split with former coach Francisco Roig after expressing a desire to reclaim her tennis identity and recenter what she thinks her on-court style should be. This is common among players who have spent time going it alone, who believe that doing so has allowed them to understand themselves better.<\/p>\n![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Tennis-Coaches-Players-Emma-Raducanu-scaled.jpg\")
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