Patrick Mouratoglou not a fan of Emma Raducanu coaching turnover ahead of return - 'The worst thing, you need stability'
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Published 14/12/2023 at 13:04 GMT
Emma Raducanu is set to enter the 2024 season without a full-time coach on her team. The 2021 US Open champion has had five coaches over the last two years. Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of Serena Williams, has given his view on Raducanu's coaching situation and has explained why he thinks Jack Draper could be a potential future Grand Slam winner.
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Patrick Mouratoglou thinks Emma Raducanu’s regular coaching changes are the “worst thing” for a professional player due to the "instability" it causes.
Raducanu has had five coaches over the last two years and is currently set to enter the 2024 season without a full-time coach.
Her last appointment was Sebastian Sachs, who was in the job for six months.
Raducanu's agent Max Eisenbud said earlier this year that the coaching turnover is a "comfortable" approach for Raducanu and her father Ian, and could continue.
However, Serena Williams’ former coach Mouratoglou does not view it as the best recipe for success.
“That's not the ideal situation,” he told Eurosport ahead of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown final in London this week, which can be seen live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
“If she was my daughter, I wouldn't advise to do that, because you need stability to build something, whatever it is. And even more in tennis, I think it's very important to have a project for your tennis and to follow day after day, the road to achieve what your project, your tennis project is.
“So whenever there are changes in terms of coaches, there are the project changes. So you cannot build something. And also you need stability. The tour is the most unstable thing on the planet. Everything changes every week. It's pretty tough emotionally to handle all those changes.
“So if you have changes also with your team, then it's too much. So I wish for her that she finds someone that she trusts enough to be able to keep the team for long enough to achieve something, because the potential we know she has, she's proven it by winning a Grand Slam.
“But since this happened, nothing has been consistent. I think the results and the injuries are the consequence of this instability that she has had within her team.”
The 2021 US Open champion hasn’t played since April, having undergone surgery on both hands and her ankle in May.
Asked if he thinks there are any benefits to Raducanu switching coaches to get differing views, Mouratoglou said: “That’s the worst thing you can do.
“Because at the end, you don't know what to do. You have different voices. I believe, this is my opinion, but I believe that one of the key to success is to have one voice that you believe in, one project and to go straight from A to B.
“Otherwise, you're going zigzag all the time and you, again, the more voices, the more ideas, the more lost you are as a player. It's very complex.
“It's very difficult to be a tennis player and you need clarity. That's the most important thing. And when there are many voices, there is no clarity at all.”
‘Draper can be future Grand Slam winner’
Jack Draper continued to show his potential in 2023, making his first ATP Tour final, reaching the last 16 at the US Open and Indian Wells, and making the semi-finals in Adelaide.
The 21-year-old will be making his debut at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in London.
Even though he had another season disrupted by injuries, Mouratoglou thinks he made “huge progress” and has tipped him as a potential future Grand Slam winner.
“He has a big game, but also I feel he's very strong mentally, he's very competitive,” said Mouratoglou.
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Jack Draper
Image credit: Getty Images
“Of course, compared to the very top guys he's behind for the moment. Same as Ben Shelton, but those two for me, they can also play a role in the future.
“They're just a bit behind for the moment, but not everyone progresses at the same speed. They constantly progress both in their game and their ranking, which is a very good sign and they go fast.
“So Jack can really be a potential Grand Slam winner also in the future.”
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