Raducanu scouts for her fourth coach in just a year

US Open champion Emma Raducanu is set to appoint her fourth coach in a year after ending her association with Torben Beltz after just five months.

The 19-year-old, who starts her campaign in the Madrid Open today as she builds up to the French Open, said she felt she required a “new training model”.

The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) head of women’s coaching, Iain Bates, will work with Raducanu this week.

She will aim to build on her run to the Stuttgart quarter-finals last week where she lost to world No 1 and eventual champion Iga Swiatek.

“I want to thank Torben for his coaching, professionalism and dedication over the last half-ayear,” said Raducanu, who on Monday rose to her highest world ranking of 11.

“He has a huge heart and I have enjoyed our strong chemistry during the time together.

“I feel the best direction for my development is to transition to a new training model with the LTA supporting in the interim.”

Beltz coached former world No 1 and fellow German Angelique Kerber when she won the Australian Open and US Open titles in 2016.

Raducanu has gone through several coaches in the past year since she first made her mark in reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon, even before she had received her final school exam results.

She replaced Nigel Sears with Andrew Richardson after Wimbledon, but Richardson’s contract was not renewed despite Raducanu’s stunning success at the US Open.

Raducanu could turn towards Italian Ricardo Piatti, who has coached among others France’s former world No 7, the mercurial Richard Gasquet, and 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic.

He is available after cutting ties with compatriot Jannik Sinner, whom he guided into the men’s world top 10.

Raducanu trained at Piatti’s academy before embarking on her clay court campaign earlier this month.