Emma Raducanu has stopped looking for a full-time coach for now because she’s happy with a more relaxed set-up. She is currently working part-time with Mark Petchey, who used to coach Andy Murray and is well known in British tennis.
Petchey started helping her casually during the Miami Open last month, where Raducanu played her best tennis this season and made it to the quarter-finals. After that, she wanted him to join her team more often, but his job as a TV commentator makes that difficult.
This week, Raducanu returns to play at the Madrid Open. Petchey will be helping her there when he can, depending on his other work.
“I’m happy with how things are going right now,” said Raducanu, who is ranked 49th in the world. “I’ve known him since before I won the US Open in 2021, so it’s nice to have someone familiar around.”
Raducanu hasn’t had a full-time coach since January, when Nick Cavaday stepped down due to health issues. She also ended a short two-week trial with Vladimir Platenik just before the Miami Open.
In the past, she’s worked with several coaches like Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson (who coached her during her US Open win), Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs.
Talking about working with Petchey, Raducanu said, “We’re keeping things relaxed for now, and it’s going well. I’ve known him a long time and trust him. Nothing is fixed yet — we’re just taking it week by week, and he’s helping when he can, along with his other work.”
Raducanu Picks LA for Her Training Camp
After the Miami Open, Emma Raducanu chose not to play in the Billie Jean King Cup for Great Britain. Instead, she stayed in the U.S. for a short training period.
The 2021 US Open winner trained in Los Angeles with coach Mark Petchey for 10 days before going back to Europe. She has known Petchey since she was a teenager and says she enjoys their interesting and thoughtful talks.
Their training created a calm and relaxed environment, which helped Raducanu feel more like herself and perform better, like she did in Miami.
Off the court, she’s also feeling more balanced. In LA, she went hiking in the mountains, and now she even goes to yoga classes after training, like she did in Madrid.
“I’m happy with the training and how I feel on court. I worked well on my game and can’t wait to try it in a real match,” Raducanu said.
“We had a great training bubble—it was fun and helpful. Mark’s helped both with my tennis and with keeping my mind active, which I really enjoy.”
Raducanu is set to return to the WTA Tour in Madrid, where she’ll play Suzan Lamens from the Netherlands in the first round.
This will be her first match since her Miami loss to world number three Jessica Pegula on March 27.
“I had a busy start to the year, and I needed to recharge both physically and mentally,” she explained. “Switching to clay courts takes time, and I’m not ready to do it back-to-back with hard court events.”
