EMMA’S FOCUS ON BIG PICTURE
EMMA RADUCANU has issued a public appeal for a top coach to join her team after losing her first match since her US Open triumph to the world No.100. The British No.1 became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam without even dropping a set.
But the teenager’s fearless hitting at Flushing Meadows was followed by a catalogue of errors in the Californian desert as she went down 6-2 6-4 to Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the BNP Paribas Open.
It is hardly a crisis for the new tennis superstar yet the decision to split with Andrew Richardson, who guided her to victory in New York, before appointing a new coach now seems bizarre.
The LTA’S Jeremy Bates worked with Raducanu in Indianwells this week but the search for a new coach – and proven winner with WTA Tour experience – now has added urgency.
The world No.22 said: “I think that I would love to have someone with great experience right now by my side, so if any experienced coaches are out there looking, you know where to find me.
“Jeremy Bates is here just to help me out with this week but he was here with Katie Boulter. I’m sure that my team and everyone will be able to try and find a solution and yeah, I wasn’t joking. If anyone knows any experienced coaches.”
Raducanu, 18, has yet to win a set in a regularwta event and will have to get used to playing with a big target on her back as a major champion.
But she remained upbeat despite defeat here. She said: “I am still learning. I’ve got a very long future ahead of me. Potentially like 15 years, 20 years in the game.
“My priority is just that longevity and I still think I’m at the very start. I’m in a good place mentally.this is going to be very small in the long term.
“I’m kind of glad that what happened today happened, so I can learn and take it as a lesson. Going forward, I’ll just have more experience banked.”
Raducanu is scheduled to play in Russia, Romania and Austria but has yet to decide about going to the Kremlin Cup on October 18.