Emma Raducanu has added long-time Rafael Nadal coach Francis Roig to her team ahead of the US Open.
Roig, who was a top-60 player in his own right, also spent 17 years on Nadal’s coaching team.
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Raducanu will have a new coach in her corner at Cincinnati and the US OpenCredit: Getty
Raducanu has been working with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March, after a two-week trial with Vlado Platenik ended.
That was not intended to be a long-term solution and Petchey himself even admitted the 22-year-old may have to replace him before long.
However, her working with the British coach has coincided with an upturn in form where she made the third round of Wimbledon – losing to world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
Now, after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 2021 US Open winner will begin work with him in Cincinnati after he agreed a contract until the end of 2025.
Read more on Emma Raducanu
In Roig, Raducanu has found someone with vast experience and worked with Nadal, alongside Nadal’s uncle Toni, for the majority of the 22-time grand slam champion’s career.
They parted ways in 2022 and Roig said: “I felt like I needed a new challenge in my life.”
The 57-year-old went on to work with former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for around a year.
Roig is described by Nadal’s biographer Christopher Clarey as ‘an excellent swing doctor, adept at fixing glitches in strokes’.
In his book, titled The Master, fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez described what made Roig so valuable.
“Technically I think he’s the best coach in the world,” Lopez said.
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Petchey has been working with Raducanu informally for several monthsCredit: Getty
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Roig spent more than 17 years working with NadalCredit: Getty
“He doesn’t use that much video analysis, but he sees things that the rest of the coaches don’t see.
“He’s able to see things in Rafa’s forehand or movement that no other guys would notice, and it allowed them to be very specific and precise.”
Now he will get to work with Raducanu for the US Open swing and the rest of 2025.
How many coaches has Emma Raducanu had?
Roig will now be the eighth permanent coach over the last few years.
She initially started working with Nigel Sears at the beginning of her professional career, which included her Wimbledon breakthrough in 2021.
Andrew Richardson then guided her to US Open success in September 2021, before going their separate ways shortly after.
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The British star created tennis history when she won the US Open in 2021Credit: Getty
Raducanu then hired Torben Beltz in late 2021, but that ended just a few months later.
LTA coaches Iain Bates and Jane O’Donoghue helped her in the summer of 2022, before she had a three month trial with Dmitry Tursunov.
Sebastian Sachs held the post from December 2022 until June 2023, but her 2023 season was cruelly cut short by injury.
Nick Cavaday was her coach for 12 months, but unfortunately had to step back for health reasons in January 2025.
A trial with Platenik abruptly ended in March this year before she then returned to Petchey, a childhood coach.
Where is Emma Raducanu ranked?
Raducanu is currently the number 33 in the world, but will see that drop to at least 38 on Monday.
This follows her round of 32 defeat to Amanda Anisimova, which was a blow to her hopes of being seeded at the US Open.
The top 32 will be seeded at Flushing Meadow and she needs a big result at Cincinnati to propel her up the rankings.