Jim Courier explains what’s changed in Emma Raducanu’s game after adding Andy Murray’s ex-coach
Emma Raducanu added Andy Murray's former coach Mark Petchey for the Miami Open but hasn't yet made him her permanent coach.
Follow Us
Jim Courier, Emma Raducanu (Image via Daily Mail, X/Emma Raducanu Italian fan)
Emma Raducanu didn’t have a strong start to the European clay swing as after beating Suzan Lamens in the first round, she succumbed to a three-set defeat to 24th seed Marta Kostyuk at the Madrid Open. She was expected to make a deep run in the first WTA 1000 of the season on clay after her quarterfinal run at the Miami Open.
In Miami, the 22-year-old was successful in winning four matches in a row for the first time since her historic run at the 2021 US Open which she lifted as a teenager and a qualifier. Raducanu started working with Andy Murray‘s former coach Mark Petchey in Miami after splitting with Vladimir Platenik after a two-week trial period.
The Brit, however, is without a permanent coach since her childhood coach Nick Cavaday left her team to prioritize his health earlier this year. Raducanu was expected to make Petchey her permanent coach but before the Madrid Open, she said that she had kept things informal with the 54-year-old. Jim Courier, after Raducanu’s Madrid Open exit, revealed one thing he observed in her game since she started working with Petchey.
What I do know already is he’s already changed her service motion by adding more shoulder turn there which is the idea is to try and give her a little bit more disguise and a little more power. But I think overall this is a net positive for her on so many levels, we’ll see where it goes.
Jim Courier told Tennis Channel
Raducanu has often been told by critics to sort out her coaching problem as she has worked with several coaches. Apart from Petchey, Cavaday, and Platenik, Raducanu worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs.
Emma Raducanu found it difficult to move during her match against Marta Kostyuk
While Marta Kostyuk played with ease, Emma Raducanu was seen struggling to move during rallies. Later, Raducanu admitted that she needed to work more on her game so that she could adapt well to the red dirt.
I found moving really difficult. I felt like I was slipping around, but it was taking me a long time to get out of the corners and after the serve as well. I’m not really sure how to improve that, so I guess I’ll just take that back and try to work on it in the next week.
Emma Raducanu said at the press conference
Last year on the clay swing, Raducanu participated in two events: the Stuttgart Open and the Madrid Open. But she later enjoyed a decent campaign on the grass swing as she reached the semifinals and the quarterfinals at the Nottingham Open and the Eastbourne Open, respectively, before reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon for the second time after the 2021 season.
Emma Raducanu misses ranking opportunity after her Madrid Open defeat
Emma Raducanu is currently in the 49th position in the rankings table. But on Monday, she will climb two places up and occupy the No. 47 position. Raducanu, who achieved her career-best ranking of No.1 after her US Open triumph, would have climbed to the 46th spot had she defeated Marta Kostyuk.
After beating Raducanu, Kostyuk knocked out Veronika Kudermetova in three sets. The Ukrainian has scheduled a fourth-round clash with Anastasia Potapova who eliminated Sofia Kenin in three sets.
Raducanu will next be gearing up for the Italian Open, which she will be playing for the first time since 2022. In 2022, Raducanu gave a walkover to Bianca Andreescu in the second round of Rome. So far in the season, Raducanu has played eight tournaments.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)