I don’t need a coach
Emma rejects criticism over high turnover of mentors
Emma Raducanu has underlined her unorthodox career approach with what many will find a startling admission: she would not mind going into the French Open or Wimbledon without a coach.
The US Open champion sprang another surprise this week when she split with German Torben Beltz ahead of the madrid Open.
It is the latest step along the road which leads to Roland Garros and SW19, where the pressure will be greatest. However, she seems content about the prospect of facing that without a specific mentor in her corner.
asked if she would be worried about heading into the forthcoming Grand Slams without a coach, she responded: ‘To be honest, no, I am very comfortable with how I am training right now. I feel like I don’t really need a conventional, this title, “Emma Raducanu’s coach”. I feel like growing up, I have always been very responsive to the situation and it has not always been straightforward. I am not necessarily stressing or panicking to find a new coach.
‘From a young age, I haven’t always had a coach and when I was training alone growing up, I had to learn to be my own coach. I feel something that I am pretty good at is actually understanding the game, studying it.
‘a lot of the time I feel that I know the answers. Of course a coach’s experience is very valuable at certain times but the majority of the time I feel that I already know the answer to the question I am asking.’
She reaffirmed that she would always seek wisdom from outside sources. aside from Beltz, in recent weeks these have included Italian Riccardo Piatti, who may appear again. There has also been work with GB davis cup winner James Ward and the Lawn Tennis association’s veteran doubles guru Louis cayer.
‘I love learning and I love to hear new ideas and whether I use all of them or not, that’s my own call at the end of the day, but I love to get a taste for all the different ideas that are out there and different models.’
Raducanu also explained that she talks to others about who she should be picking to work with her, and there was a reminder of the environment she has come from in the past 12 months. ‘at the end of the day I make the decision, but as a 19-year-old I’m always going to ask my parents — like my schoolfriends might ask their parents which university they should go to.’
There was also an awareness that her high turnover of coaches is raising eyebrows within the tennis parish. She pointed out that she had a three-year association with nigel Sears, first as consultant and then as coach.
‘Sometimes it’s something from their end and they can’t continue, not just me saying, “OK I’ve had enough now”.’
Long-term results will bear out whether her ideas are correct. Her opening match in madrid — where world no1 Iga Swiatek has withdrawn through injury — is tomorrow against Tereza martincova of the czech Republic, who Raducanu beat in the Billie Jean King cup earlier this month.