I Hope Francisco Can Help Me Beat The Top Players'

British No 1 Raducanu has hired Nadal's old coach and, before their opening assignment in the US, she tells Tumaini Carayol that the early signs are positive

- Tumaini Carayol

Emma Raducanu believes her new coaching partnership with Francisco Roig can help to take her game to the next level as she tries to continue her recent rise up the rankings. "First impressions are it's going really well," Raducanu said, speaking for the first time about the move in an interview with the Guardian. "We did a few days after Wimbledon together and I was really happy with how it went. I'm just so excited to have him on board, so much experience. I'm really looking forward to continuing."

With her hiring of Roig, Raducanu has indeed added a wealth of experience to her team. A former player with a career-high singles ranking of No 60 in 1992, Roig came to prominence as a longtime member of Rafael Nadal's coaching team, working alongside Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach, as the Spaniard built one of the greatest careers in the history of professional tennis. Roig himself decided to end his 18-year partnership with Nadal in 2022 and he later briefly coached the injury-prone Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Although Raducanu's numerous coaching changes have been a big narrative in her career, this new appointment comes at a different point in her development.