Emma Raducanu to ‘tap into a few people’ for coaching advice
Remember when Raducanu caused a seismic shock by winning the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier who had barely played a professional tournament?
She managed to achieve the unthinkable by playing with a freedom which she has not been able to replicate consistently since.
Amost five years later and having reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam tournament only once since, Raducanu is determined to get back to basics.
That means rediscovering her natural instincts to be an aggressive baseliner. Her early success was built around not being afraid to take returns early in a bid to hustle opponents.
First serves were put back deep in the court to instantly put her rivals on the back foot and second serves were swatted away with impunity.
Raducanu’s power off both wings was impressive, although it was clear her forehand needed more work than her solid and stylish backhand.
Over the next year or so, the forehand deteriorated to a place where it lacked any punch and, following the wrist surgery which ruled her almost completely of the 2023 season, is what Roig tried to remodel.
The lack of trust in what Raducanu was being asked to do, though, was clear at the Australian Open.
In a demoralising second-round exit, she made 19 unforced errors off that wing and spoke afterwards about returning to a simple philosophy – “hitting the ball to the corners and hard”.
There is another aspect to Raducanu’s ambitions of returning to the top 10 and challenging the very best players – her body and mind.
She must continue to build fitness and durabilty – and have the heart for a scrap in tough moments – to implement the style she wants.
