British tennis player Dan Evans has expressed skepticism about Emma Raducanu’s new coaching arrangement with Mark Petchey, questioning its long-term viability. Raducanu began working informally with Petchey at the Miami Open, where she made a strong run to the quarter-finals and returned to the WTA top 50 for the first time in three years.
The partnership is understood to be casual, as Petchey balances his coaching input with commitments as a tennis commentator. As a result, he won’t be present at every tournament. Former coach Jane O’Donoghue is expected to fill in when Petchey is unavailable, though she too is only a short-term solution due to her full-time job in finance.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Evans said he doubts the setup will last if Raducanu starts losing matches.
“It can’t last if she starts losing matches and Petchey is in the commentary box — that’s not going to work,” Evans said. “I think Emma will be looking for a new coach again pretty soon if she starts to lose some matches on the grass into the US swing. I’m not sure how that can last as it is.”
Both Petchey and O’Donoghue are currently in Rome as Raducanu prepares for the Italian Open. Despite outside concerns, Raducanu has expressed satisfaction with the current arrangement.
“It’s been working pretty well,” Raducanu said. “Mark is doing his commentary work and around that he is going to help me as much as he can. Hopefully the times align that he can be there with me in the matches. That’s why Jane is here for when he’s not able to make it.”
She acknowledged the need for future adjustments once O’Donoghue returns to work, saying:
“While she’s not working it’s nice to have her as much as possible, but she will go back to work and then I need to figure another solution out.”
Looking ahead, Raducanu said she’s using the clay court season to improve her game.
“I want to take more balls on, be more aggressive, and structure points on my terms. I know I may make more errors doing that, but I’m willing to go through that.”
