Emma Raducanu has enlisted former British No. 1 Mark Petchey as part of her coaching team for at least the Madrid Open, following a series of coaching changes after her successful 2021. Raducanu, currently ranked No. 47, has been without a permanent coach since January and previously worked briefly with Vladimír Pláteník. Petchey, who has coached Andy Murray, has a past connection with Raducanu and joined her team in Miami. Raducanu values a supportive environment after recent challenges, believing Petchey offers both technical skills and important emotional support. The partnership remains informal for now, with future developments uncertain.
Emma Raducanu has enlisted former British No. 1 Mark Petchey to her coaching team for at least the duration of the Madrid Open.
Currently ranked No. 47 after a mixed yet promising 2025 season, Raducanu has been without a permanent coach since Nick Cavaday stepped down in January. She briefly teamed up with Slovakian Vladimír Pláteník for a trial period in March and will now continue with a familiar face, Petchey, as she embarks on the clay-court season.
“Nothing is formal,” Raducanu stated to Sky Sports just before the tournament in Spain.
Petchey, aged 54, previously coached three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray for 10 months early in his career. He had a short collaboration with Raducanu in the summer of 2020 to refine some technical aspects of her game and joined the 22-year-old at the Miami Open in Florida last month on a temporary basis, alongside his long-time friend and former player and LTA coach Jane O’Donoghue, who is also in Madrid. This flexible arrangement allows Petchey to manage other obligations, including his role as an analyst for the Tennis Channel.
Since her breakout summer in 2021, when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and won the U.S. Open as a qualifier, Raducanu has changed coaches frequently. In that time, she has had six permanent coaches — Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, and Cavaday — in addition to several temporary ones.
After reaching the quarterfinals in Miami, her best result since winning the U.S. Open four years ago, Raducanu took a few weeks off for a mid-season training block. She faces Suzan Lamens from the Netherlands in the first round of the Madrid Open on April 23 and intends to participate in the Italian Open starting in two weeks.
‘Surrounding herself with people she knows and trusts is important’
During the past few months without a permanent coach, Raducanu has emphasized her commitment to not rushing into any decisions. She maintains high standards and seeks the right match.
It is crucial for Raducanu to be surrounded by individuals she knows and trusts. Throughout her run to the Miami quarterfinals, she noted how the positive atmosphere within her camp was beneficial. She engaged in games of spikeball with Petchey and the rest of the team prior to matches, which helped her remain relaxed and loose.
This sense of security was especially significant following her unsettling experience a month prior in Dubai, UAE, where a man displaying “fixated behaviour” towards Raducanu was removed from the court after causing her to break down in tears during a match against Karolina Muchova. The individual later received a restraining order.
With Petchey, Raducanu feels she has found someone who possesses the necessary technical expertise, along with an understanding of the more subtle elements of coaching that are vital to her.
Over the past decade, Petchey has built a reputation as a respected voice in tennis through his work with the Tennis Channel and other broadcasters. Prior to that, he played a pivotal role in Andy Murray’s early development, coaching him when he claimed his first ATP Tour title 19 years ago in San Jose, Texas. Raducanu’s strength lies in executing tactics and strategies, so if Petchey can apply the tactical insights he shares as an analyst, there is good reason for optimism regarding their collaboration.
The advantages she has gained from her work with Petchey have primarily stemmed from the casual nature of their arrangement. Whether this evolves into a formal coaching agreement remains to be seen.
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