Raducanu Seeks New Support Staff as Petchey Prepares for Busy Broadcast Schedule
According to a report by the BBC, Emma Raducanu is looking to recruit a new support staff member to work alongside her current coach, John Petchey. The aim is to find someone who can act in a support role to Petchey, who has significant broadcast commitments throughout the year. As quoted by the BBC, Raducanu stated, "I just need to work on who that person is."
The news comes as Raducanu prepares to take to the court in Rome, where she will face a qualifier in her first match. The BBC reports that Petchey will be able to devote more time to Raducanu during the grass-court season, but former Great Britain number one Dan Evans has cast doubt on the feasibility of Raducanu’s arrangement with Petchey. As Evans told 5 Live Tennis, "It can’t last if she starts losing matches and Petchey is in the commentary box. That’s not going to work."
Evans, 34, believes that Raducanu will be looking for a new coach again soon if she starts to lose matches on the grass into the US swing. "I’m not sure how that can last as it is," he said. However, the BBC reports that the work that Petchey and Raducanu have been doing on the practice court is not purely targeted at clay courts, and Raducanu is hoping to use this period of the clay season to improve her game.
As quoted by the BBC, Raducanu said, "I feel slightly better than I did in Madrid." She lost to Marta Kostyuk in the Madrid Open second round in April and admits that she does not "necessarily feel very comfortable" on clay. However, she is determined to use this period of the season to work on certain aspects of her game, saying, "I want to use this period of the clay season to try and work on certain things in my game that I think are going to help me bridge the gap to the next level."
Raducanu’s goal is to become more aggressive in certain points and to structure the points more on her terms. As she told the BBC, "I want to take more balls on, I want to be more aggressive in certain points – I want to structure the points more on my terms. I know I may make more errors doing that, but I’m willing to go through that." With a new support staff member in place, Raducanu will be looking to make significant strides in her game as she prepares for the grass-court season.
World number 49 Raducanu begins her Rome campaign against a qualifier on Wednesday, and the BBC will be providing extensive coverage of the event. As the BBC reports, Petchey’s broadcast commitments will undoubtedly be a challenge for Raducanu, but she is determined to make the most of the situation and use it as an opportunity to improve her game. With her sights set on the next level, Raducanu will be looking to make a significant impact in Rome and beyond.
The BBC has been at the forefront of tennis coverage, providing in-depth analysis and commentary on the sport. For more information on Raducanu’s plans and the latest tennis news, visit the BBC Sport website.
