Emma Raducanu’s ongoing struggles with coaching consistency have once again become a topic of public debate. The British tennis star has gone through eight coaches in under four years, raising questions about the direction of her career and her ability to maintain long-term partnerships. Her most recent stint involved working briefly with Vladimir Platenik after ending things with Nick Cavaday due to health issues. At the Sunshine Doubles, Raducanu reunited with two familiar figures—Jane O’Donoghue and Mark Petchey—sparking her best run since winning the US Open in 2021, reaching the quarterfinals in Miami.
However, not everyone is convinced her current setup will be sustainable. British player Dan Evans recently commented on her coaching situation, particularly on her partnership with Petchey. While the duo has history and chemistry, Evans doubts whether the informal arrangement can last if Raducanu begins to lose matches, especially during the grass court season or the US swing. He believes such an arrangement is too fragile and could force her to start searching for another coach soon.
In her own words, Raducanu described the current coaching dynamic as loosely structured. Speaking to BBC Sport, she explained that Petchey is helping when his commentary schedule allows, while Jane O’Donoghue steps in when he’s unavailable. She acknowledged that O’Donoghue has other work commitments, and a more permanent solution may be needed soon.
Raducanu later clarified in an interview with Sky Sports Tennis that the arrangement with Petchey is still informal. She emphasized the value of working with someone she trusts, but admitted she’s still trying to figure out what kind of setup helps her perform best, especially after past experiences with several coaches such as Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Iain Bates, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, and Platenik.
Despite the uncertainty behind the scenes, Raducanu showed her resilience on the court. She recently battled through a tough match against Australian qualifier Maya Joint in the first round of the Italian Open, winning 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-3 after nearly three hours of play. It was a hard-earned victory, especially after squandering a chance to close out the second set, only to bounce back with a dominant performance early in the third.
After the match, Raducanu said she felt better than she did in Madrid and expressed her desire to use the clay season to refine aspects of her game. She aims to be more aggressive, take control of points, and structure rallies on her own terms. Now ranked 49th, she continues to search for consistency both on and off the court.
As the Italian Open progresses, attention remains not only on her performance but also on how she manages her coaching situation moving forward. Will this current setup hold, or is another change around the corner?