Emma Raducanu has pulled back the curtain on the positive relationship she shares with her new coach Francisco Roig. The British star is set to face Japan’s Ena Shibahara in the first round of the US Open on Sunday.
Raducanu first made a name for herself at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when she stunned the tennis world by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at just 18-years-old. Since that triumph she has struggled with injuries, consistency and keeping a constant coach by her side, going through seven in the last four years alone. Raducanu’s latest coach, Roig, has replaced caretaker mentor Mark Petchey, who has since spoken out on the split.
Roig enjoyed a heavily successful stint working with Rafael Nadal for all of the Spanish superstar’s 22 of Grand Slam titles and, speaking to Sky Sports, Raducanu has lifted the lid on working with the 57-year-old.
She said: “I think we get on really well. I think we fit great. He is so experienced, and we have been doing a lot of hours on the practice court, which I think has been helping me, and we both like spending time on the court, which is a good thing.
“But he also knows when to have fun and switch off, and that’s important. It is not just constant seriousness. We work, but we also laugh.”
Roig’s constructive influence on Raducanu seems to be bearing fruit already. Having only taken up the position in August, Raducanu has since narrowly lost out to Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open, in a deciding set, with the world No. 1 requiring a tiebreaker to win.
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Speaking on appointing Roig, she said: “After Wimbledon, we always knew it was going to be difficult to keep things going forward with his commitments and everything.
“After that, I just asked (agent) Jill (Smoller), who is looking after me, and I was like, ‘Oh, do we have any more ideas?’ Because ideally I wanted to come into the U.S. swing knowing I had someone in a coach. That’s how it happened.”
Raducanu’s new positive outlook was perhaps underscored by her support for the US Open mixed doubles tournament where she partnered with Carlos Alcaraz. Such was her enjoyment, Raducanu has called on Wimbledon to introduce their own version of the all-star mixed doubles event after the “success” of the new event.
The British No.1 lost her only match with five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz against fellow Brit Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula. Despite the loss, Raducanu would like to see mixed doubles introduced in the other three grand slams.
She said: “I think it would be so fun if all the Slams got involved and did something similar, even if it was not the exact same format. I think it was a huge success. I think so many fans got involved, so many people watched and tuned in.”