Emma Raducanu says ‘people think I’m crazy but I trust my decision-making’ after several coaching changes
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Updated 17/05/2022 at 11:28 GMT
Emma Raducanu has worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson and Torben Beltz in the past year, while the LTA’s head of women’s tennis, Iain Bates, worked with the 19-year-old in Madrid and Rome recently. The British No. 1 has previously spoken of her comfort with her decision-making, and told WSJ magazine she is “pretty confident” with her choices so far.
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Emma Raducanu says she trusts her own decision-making after a series of coaching changes in the past year.
The British No. 1 recently split with Torben Beltz, ending a five-month spell with the coach after teaming up with him in November.
Raducanu worked with Nigel Sears at Wimbledon last year, while Andrew Richardson oversaw her US Open triumph, and she was joined by the LTA’s head of women’s tennis, Iain Bates, in Madrid and Rome.
The coaching merry-go-round has caused a stir in tennis, but Raducanu is eager to forge her own path in the sport and hinted she is not rushing to find her next permanent coach.
“That is definitely a journey [where] I’m learning on the way but it’s just what works for me as an individual,” she told WSJ magazine.
“It might not work for anyone else and people might look at me like I’m crazy but I trust my own decision-making and my own beliefs of what I think is right for myself.
“I’m pretty confident in how I’m working and my mindset and outlook towards how I’m approaching my tennis right.”
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Raducanu also opened up about her routine at tournaments, which includes plenty of smoked salmon and bringing her own milk frother in order to have the same coffee everywhere she goes.
The 19-year-old described her training as “pretty intense”, but said she tries not to put too much thought into her routine before matches.
“I don’t like to overthink my match days, because then you put a lot of emphasis and additional pressure you don’t actually want,” she added.
Raducanu had already spoken of her comfort with the coaching changes, and said ahead of the Madrid Open that her focus was on finding sparring partners.
“I think going forward I’ll probably be putting a lot more emphasis on sparring,” she said last month.
“I like to mix it up. I like to work very specifically and I’m very clear on what I want to work on. A lot of the time those ideas come from myself."
Raducanu is set to compete in the French Open for the first time this month, with the Grand Slam starting proper on Sunday, although a back injury means her participation is still not certain.
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