Emma Raducanu has made a bold decision by bringing Francis Roig on board as part of her coaching staff. While the Spaniard enjoyed nearly two decades of success as part of Rafael Nadal’s backroom team, a subsequent spell with current world No.36 Matteo Berrettini turned out to be short-lived, and a remark from the Italian after they went their separate ways may give Raducanu cause for concern.
The British women’s No.1 has enjoyed an impressive string of tournament results since working with coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis, including runs to the Citi Open semi-finals and the quarter-finals of Queen’s and the Miami Open.
But Petchey retains a number of TV commitments which prevent him from coaching Raducanu on a full-time basis. And the 22-year-old has now moved to appoint Roig on a contract until the end of the year following a successful trial after Wimbledon.
Roig helped coach Nadal, along with the Spaniard’s uncle Toni, between 2005 and 2022. The following year he partnered up with former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, but while his association with Nadal was long-lasting, his next assignment was all over in less than 12 months.
And Berrettini’s comments on the split may offer a warning to Raducanu, as he admitted that he and Roig ‘saw things differently’.
“It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was mutual,” he said in October. “He has helped me a lot on this journey back, helped me improve, but it’s true that we saw some things differently.
“It was a completely professional decision, so I truly thank him for everything he did for me; we have had a successful year. Now it’s time to turn the page towards a new chapter, hopefully with the best waiting in the future.”
Raducanu put together another respectable run in her last outing at the Canadian Open. She beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Peyton Stearns in straight sets in Montreal before coming unstuck against this year’s Wimbledon runner-up, Amanda Anisimova, in the third round.
The defeat has dropped Raducanu down to 38th in the live WTA rankings and left her with work to do to secure a top-32 seeding for this month’s US Open. She therefore needs a positive run at the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati, where the ranking points on offer could boost her chances of securing easier early-round draws at Flushing Meadows.