What Feliciano Lopez said about Emma Raducanu’s new coach could make him a perfect fit for the Brit
Emma Raducanu’s appointment of Francisco Roig, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, as her new full-time coach until the end of 2025 has been hailed as a potential game-changer, particularly due to comments from former Spanish No. 2 Feliciano Lopez. In Christopher Clarey’s book The Master, Lopez described Roig as “technically the best coach in the world,” emphasizing his exceptional observational skills: “He doesn’t use that much video analysis, but he sees things that the rest of the coaches don’t see. He’s able to see things in Rafa’s forehand or movement that no other guys would notice, and it allowed them to be very specific and precise.” These qualities, reported by Telegraph Sport and Tennis365 on August 5, 2025, align perfectly with Raducanu’s technical curiosity and rapid learning ability, making Roig an ideal match for the 22-year-old British No. 1.
Raducanu, ranked world No. 33, has a knack for dissecting tennis like a puzzle, as noted by The Telegraph, which makes Roig’s ability to identify and fix subtle flaws in strokes—such as Nadal’s volleys and slice backhand—a tailored fit. Her 2025 season, with a 23-16 record, includes a Miami Open quarterfinal, an Italian Open last-16 run, a Queen’s Club quarterfinal, and a Citi Open semifinal, but she struggles against top-10 players (0-6), lacking the shot weight to compete with elites like Amanda Anisimova, who defeated her 6-2, 6-1 in Montreal. Roig’s expertise in refining key weapons like the serve and forehand, as Lopez highlighted, could address this gap, helping Raducanu challenge top opponents.
Roig, who coached Nadal from 2005 to 2022 and Matteo Berrettini from 2023 to 2024, brings 18 years of Grand Slam-winning experience. His “soothing presence” and confidence-building approach, as Nadal described in Rafa: My Story, complement Raducanu’s need for a relaxed, joyful environment, a trait she shares with her US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz. However, Matteo Berrettini’s comments after their 2024 split, noting they “saw things differently,” suggest potential challenges if Raducanu resists Roig’s methods, per The Express. Her history of cycling through seven coaches since 2021 raises concerns, but her recent maturity in moving beyond her trusted circle, as Daily Mail’s Matthew Lambert noted, indicates readiness for Roig’s high-profile guidance.
As Raducanu prepares for Cincinnati and the US Open, Lopez’s endorsement of Roig’s technical prowess suggests a partnership that could elevate her game, provided she embraces his precise, observation-driven coaching style.
