Emma Raducanu reunites with childhood coach Nick Cavaday in Melbourne ahead of Australian Open - reports

ByEurosport

Published 08/01/2024 at 12:05 GMT

Emma Raducanu is working with her childhood coach Nick Cavaday again ahead of the Australian Open. Until October 2023, Raducanu had been with five coaches in the space of two years before working with a series of LTA coaches as she looked to rebuild her fitness for the 2024 season. She is now working again with Cavaday who Raducanu says she has known since she was a 10-year-old.

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Emma Raducanu is working with childhood coach Nick Cavaday ahead of this month's Australian Open.

The former British No. 1 was spotted working with Cavaday in Melbourne ahead of a charity exhibition match against four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Tuesday.

Cavaday, who was head coach of the Lawn Tennis Association's Loughborough Academy until April last year, also spent time on court working with Raducanu in December.

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According to BBC Sport, it was only last week that the decision was made for Cavaday to work with Raducanu in Melbourne.

The 2021 US Open champion was out for most of 2023 after undergoing ankle and wrist surgeries.

She parted ways with German coach Sebastian Sachs shortly after having the three operations in May and had been without a full-time coach since. When Raducanu returned to the practice courts in October, she had been working with a series of LTA coaches.

Raducanu returned to competitive action for the first time in eight months at the Auckland Classic last week.

After beating world No. 134 Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the first round, she lost to 2023 Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 6-7(5) 7-6(3) 6-1.

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Speaking about Cavaday in New Zealand, Raducanu said: "I've known Nick since I was 10 years old and he was helping me out the last week at the NTC (National Tennis Centre). Before that the LTA helped me a ton."

Raducanu is to play in the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament, which runs from January 10-12, as she continues her preparation for the Australian Open. At the event she will play 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon last year.

Raducanu is safely into the main draw of the women's singles at the Australian Open after Lauren Davis' withdrawal meant that the Brit's protected ranking of 103 allowed her to bypass qualifying.

The Australian Open itself starts on Sunday, January 14, and will be live on Eurosport and discovery+.

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