Emma Raducanu reveals if Mark Petchey will remain in her team as permanent coach
Emma Raducanu started to work with Andy Murray's former coach in Miami where she reached the quarterfinals.
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Mark Petchey, Emma Raducanu (Image via The Sun, X/LTA)
Emma Raducanu is gearing up for her first tournament on clay. She is scheduled to lock horns with Suzan Lamens on Wednesday (April 23) in the first round of the Madrid Open.
It will be her first tournament since the Miami Open where Raducanu made it to the quarterfinals. Her Miami Open run was her second best of her career since her fairytale run at the 2021 US Open which she won as a qualifier and as a teenager.
Ahead of her match, Raducanu made her feelings known about her coaching situation. She is currently coached by Andy Murray‘s former coach Mark Petchey but amid opinions from fans and pundits that Raducanu should make him her permanent coach, the British ace denied doing the same.
We haven’t made anything formal. It’s pretty informal for now but is something that’s going really well.
Emma Raducanu told Sky Sports
Petchey joined Raducanu’s team in Miami this year along with her longtime friend and Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) coach Jane O’Donoghue. The development came after Raducanu ended her partnership with Vladimir Platenik after just two weeks.
He’s [Petchey] someone I feel I can trust because I’ve known him so long. For now, it’s working really well and it’s nice to be with someone that I feel comfortable with. I’m still figuring things out: what works for me, what doesn’t.
Emma Raducanu added
Raducanu has often been advised by the tennis pundits to sort out her coaching situation as the Brit has worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs. This January, Raducanu parted ways with childhood coach Nick Cavaday as he chose to prioritize his health.
Emma Raducanu slams critics for questioning her decisions
Emma Raducanu has had enough of critics always judging her decisions. As Raducanu struggled to win her second title of her career since winning the 2021 US Open, she became a victim of harsh criticism from fans as well as tennis pundits.
Every time I step on the court, every time I kind of make a choice, it is up for judgment. And I just need to get to a place where I’m comfortable enough and secure enough in what I’m doing that it doesn’t matter what other people are saying.
Emma Raducanu told The Guardian and the BBC
Fitness problems have often hampered Raducanu’s performance. In 2023, she underwent multiple surgeries and played less than 15 tournaments last year. In spite of that, Raducanu was successful in becoming a top 60 player after starting the season from outside of the top 300.
Emma Raducanu projected to meet Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open quarterfinal
Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka are in the same quarter of the draw. They will lock horns with each other if they reach the quarterfinals. But before that, the 22-year-old could face Paula Badosa in the third round and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng in the fourth round.
Raducanu has faced the three-time Grand Slam singles champion just once. They met in the third round of the 2024 Indian Wells which the Belarusian won in straight sets. Last year in Madrid, Raducanu got knocked out of the first round, while the World No.1 lost a thrilling final to five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka was denied her third title in the tournament (she was the champion in 2021 and 2023) beating Ash Barty and Swiatek in the finals respectively. The 26-year-old will enter the tournament in the Spanish capital after the Stuttgart Open final where she once again was denied the title (this time by Jelena Ostapenko). She has far reached five finals this season, winning two titles (in Brisbane and Miami).
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