Emma Raducanu is set to work with Mark Petchey as her coach for the entire grass-court season, including the French Open and Wimbledon. Petchey, a former British No. 1 and TV pundit, initially joined Raducanu’s team on a temporary basis during the Miami Open but will now continue in a more extended role.
According to The Telegraph, Petchey will juggle his broadcasting duties with coaching Raducanu through the French Open. He’s part of the TNT Sports commentary team at Roland Garros, alongside tennis legends like John McEnroe and Chris Evert. This dual commitment could complicate match preparations as his availability will be limited until the grass season officially begins.
Despite the unconventional setup, Raducanu and Petchey have found early success, winning 8 out of 11 matches together. Most recently, Raducanu impressed at the Italian Open before losing to Coco Gauff in the last 16.
To fine-tune her clay-court game ahead of the French Open, Raducanu has accepted a wildcard to play in Strasbourg next week. After Roland Garros, she plans to play the women’s tournament at Queen’s before competing at Wimbledon, aiming to build on her 2024 run to the fourth round.
Petchey, who worked with Raducanu during the 2020 COVID lockdown, is helping her adjust her service motion and add more power—changes she hopes will pay dividends at Wimbledon, which begins on June 30.
Reflecting on her training approach, Raducanu told Sky Sports:
“I’ve realised now that less is more for me sometimes. I work really intensely and can be prone to overdoing it. It’s about maximising effort on court, then switching off properly afterward.”
Raducanu has been without a full-time coach since splitting from Nick Cavaday in January. A trial period with Vladimir Platenik didn’t lead to a lasting partnership.
As the second Grand Slam of the year approaches, Raducanu enters with promise and potential—but the part-time status of her coach could pose a notable hurdle.
