Coach Vladimir Platenik Opens Up on Short-Lived Partnership with Emma Raducanu
Vladimir Platenik has shared insight into his brief coaching stint with Emma Raducanu, revealing that the 22-year-old is feeling immense pressure and stress, which has impacted her decision-making.
Just a day before her Indian Wells campaign, Raducanu, ranked No. 60 in the world, confirmed that she had begun a trial period with Platenik. Speaking highly of the Slovak coach, early signs suggested their collaboration could turn into a long-term partnership.
However, by Wednesday, Platenik was noticeably absent from Raducanu’s box during her Miami Open first-round match. Shortly after, the 2021 US Open champion confirmed that their partnership had already come to an end—after just two weeks.
Platenik: Raducanu Is Under Pressure and Feeling Stressed
“I totally understand Emma; she’s not in an easy position,” Platenik told BBC Sport. “The world is watching her after the US Open win, and everyone—including herself—has high expectations for what she will do next. It’s absolutely understandable that she’s feeling pressure. She told me she was stressed.”
While the short-lived partnership was unexpected, Platenik insists he holds no grudges.
“There are no hard feelings from my side. She ended things in a fair way—perhaps too quickly—but that’s tennis, that’s sport. We have to respect her decision,” he said.
“She wasn’t feeling OK, and that was her choice. I didn’t push for further discussion. A player needs to feel good about their decisions, and sometimes they turn out to be the right ones, sometimes not.”
Despite the abrupt ending, Platenik had high praise for Raducanu’s work ethic and even left the door open for a future collaboration.
“If she ever reached out and said ending our partnership was a mistake, I’d be open to working with her again,” he added.
