Emma Raducanu and her new coach, Francisco Roig, landed themselves in hot water as the Brit took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open. Roig, who previously spent years working with Rafael Nadal, joined Raducanu’s coaching camp this week following a successful post-Wimbledon trial.
And the Spanish tennis coach made his voice heard throughout the first set, shouting words of advice and encouragement. However, they took things too far when Raducanu survived a tough service game to lead 5-4 and walked over to chat to Roig, before the umpire told her she wasn’t allowed to approach her mentor.
Neither Raducanu nor Sabalenka wanted to go down without a fight in a rematch of their tight Wimbledon third-round scrap, which saw Sabalenka come from a break down in both sets to win 7-6 6-4.
They traded breaks twice early on, and the Brit found herself in a tight spot at 4-4, saving two break points. Roig made himself heard throughout the match, shouting out after virtually every point.
After Raducanu held on to lead 5-4, she walked to the corner to say something to Roig, who also left his seat and walked closer to communicate with his player. But the umpire quickly called her over.
“She’s even going over for some advice before heading to her chair. Huge amount of dialogue at the moment, and the umpire has just called her away, can’t do that,” Sky Sports commentator Adam Fielder remarked.
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