“She needs the right quarterback that understands the mental game and bulletproof confidence.” Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci said on Emma Raducanu’s coaching woes earlier this week. The 2021 US Open winner has been struggling this season after coming back from an injury-ridden 2024. Her very first Major of 2025 didn’t go as planned. The former World No.10 lost to five-time Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a one-sided battle, 0-1, 1-6, crashing out of the third round. As if that wasn’t enough, her former coach announced a split soon after, thus escalating troubles for the Brit. But it appears she’s in no hurry to hire a new coach. Why so?
For the unversed, Nick Cavaday was Raducanu’s coach until her campaign down under came to a close. Following her defeat against Swiatek, Cavaday shared the update regarding his departure. Explaining the reason behind his decision, he said, “At this moment in time, it’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritize getting back to full health, which is hard to do with the extensive calendar. I am glad Emma is back to being established on tour now with a ranking inside the top 60, and I look forward to seeing what she does from here.”
Cavaday was Raducanu’s 6th coach since she captured her first Grand Slam in 2021. Before him, she worked with the likes of Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Dmitry Tursunov, Torben Beltz, and Sebastian Sachs. Ahead of her next WTA event, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Raducanu shared her thoughts on having no coach at the moment. When asked who her next will be, she said “It’s a decision that I want to take my time with. I think that’s why I haven’t necessarily jumped into something straight away, because I want to make sure it’s a right fit.”
Throwing light on her decision to wait before hiring a new coach, Raducanu further added, “This time period to just figure out what I really value. I’m not too sure yet right now. I haven’t come to any plans or decisions. So yeah, I’m just taking it, using the next couple weeks to see how I feel, and then make a decision.”
While Emma Raducanu’s yet to clear the picture on her next coach, floating rumors are suggesting a name already. So who is it? Well, he’s none other than her compatriot and Novak Djokovic’s current trainer, Andy Murray.
Will Emma Raducanu join forces with Andy Murray?
For the unversed, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic collaborated last year in November. Djoker wanted the Scot to be his coach but for a trial period at the Australian Open. Unfortunately, the 10-time AO king had to retire from Melbourne due to his hamstring injury in the semifinal last week. Since then, there’s been no significant update on the future of their partnership. In simple words, the clouds of uncertainty are now looming over their association.
As for the possibility of Murray joining Emma Raducanu’s team, he has previously expressed his desire to coach Raducanu. In 2022, talking to Tennis Channel, he was asked to name four players he would love to train. Scott replied, “Female player–Emma Raducanu. Male player – between (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Stefanos) Tsitsipas and (Jack) Draper,” as reported by GBNews.
Moreover, he also praised her when the Brit won her maiden Slam nearly four years ago. “It was incredible what she did there,” said the 37-year-old. “I think for a lot of the people involved in British tennis, we knew she was extremely good.”
As of now, Raducanu is not looking to speed up her hunt for the next coach. But it will be intriguing to see if she eventually brings Murray on board.
Speaking of her next on-court appearance, Raducanu will go against Czechia’s Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Monday. After initially getting a qualifying wildcard for this event, the Brit later received a direct entry in the main draw on Saturday. Will she be able to clinch the title in Abu Dhabi? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The post ‘Make Sure It’s a Right Fit’ – Emma Raducanu Poised to Take Coaching Hunt Slow Despite a Sluggish Start to Her Season appeared first on EssentiallySports.
