Emma Raducanu has brought Francisco Roig on board as her new coach, with the British No.1 set to work with the Spaniard for the first time in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Emma Raducanu has enlisted the services of Francisco Roig, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, through the end of the year. The former U.S. Open champion is set to begin training with the Spanish coach in Cincinnati this Wednesday.
Raducanu, Britain’s top-ranked player, had been working part-time with her previous coach, Mark Petchey, since March. However, due to Petchey’s extensive media obligations during the U.S. hardcourt season, Raducanu sought a new coaching arrangement.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from his next tournament in a big decision ahead of the U.S. Open, while Jannik Sinner has been snubbed by fellow tennis stars picking their ‘nicest players on tour’.
Discussions with Roig began during Wimbledon, followed by a trial period with Raducanu. Roig, 57, served as a backup coach for Nadal from 2005 to 2023 and most recently worked with Italian player Matteo Berrettini.
After her third-round defeat at the Canadian Open last weekend, Raducanu slipped to No. 38 in the live world rankings. She needs to climb back into the top 32 to secure seeding at Flushing Meadows.
Since her U.S. Open victory four years ago, the young British player has cycled through seven full-time coaching partnerships. Finding a lasting match has proven challenging, but she demonstrated noticeable improvement under Petchey’s guidance.
Petchey conceded last month that his TV commitments would preclude him from taking on a permanent coaching role. “I think at the moment we are a bit more short-term,” he said.
“Our situation is a little fluid at the moment. I am going to help her this week as much as I can. I have some other commitments I can’t get out of.
“We are very aware she needs a second coach to come on board and maybe just one coach, not me, as well. All I am trying to do is facilitate the best possible environment for Emma to produce the tennis she can.
“Whether that involves me or does not involve me is not a question that I’m worried about. We are just trying to find something that will be stable or good for her.”
Raducanu is looking forward to a fruitful start with Roig, who has had plenty of success during his tenure with Nadal’s team.
He previously shared some insight into his coaching techniques, revealing how he assisted Nadal in maximizing his game even when the Spanish legend was playing through pain.
“There were many periods when he couldn’t work as hard as he would have liked because of physical problems,” he disclosed to L’Equipe. “We made sure that all his movements gradually resulted in less energy being expended when he hit the ball.
“The more time passed, the more demanding he became of himself in training. Quality eventually took precedence over volume, but it was rare to see him finish sessions satisfied.”
