Emma Raducanu has bolstered her team with an “interim” coach, Tom Welsh of the LTA Academy, ahead of the Indian Wells tournament, where she’s also been offered heightened security.1 This follows her amicable parting with coach Nick Cavaday post-Australian Open 2025, due to his health concerns.
Welsh joins Jane O’Donoghue and Roman Kelecic, who’ve supported her since the split, in what is a temporary arrangement as she seeks a long-term coach. Raducanu emphasizes she’s in no rush, stating, “I think that’s why I haven’t necessarily jumped into something straight away, because I want to make sure it’s a right fit. And I think this period where I don’t necessarily have someone is going to tell me a lot. It’s going to teach me a lot, what I want, what I don’t want to look for in the next person.
So, I think I’m using this time period to just figure out what I really value. I’m not too sure yet right now. I haven’t come to any plans or decisions. So yeah, I’m just taking it, using the next couple weeks to see how I feel, and then make a decision.” Cavaday, in his departure statement, said, “It’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritise getting back to full health, which is hard to do with the extensive calendar. I am glad Emma is back to being established on tour now with a ranking inside the top 60, and I look forward to seeing what she does from here.” Raducanu has also been offered five extra security guards at Indian Wells, due to a concerning incident at the Dubai WTA 1000 event.2 There, a man displayed “fixated behaviour” towards her during a match against Karolina Muchova.3 He was removed, accepted a restraining order, and is banned from future tournaments.
“We have taken swift action to address an incident involving British tennis star Emma Raducanu, in accordance with local legal protocols,” Dubai authorities stated, adding, “While Raducanu later chose to drop the charges, the individual signed a formal undertaking to maintain distance from her and has been banned from future tournaments.” The WTA also stated, “On Monday, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour.4 This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and subsequently ejected.5 He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.
The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.” Prior to this incident, Raducanu ended a four-match losing streak by defeating Maria Sakkari in Dubai.6 The Indian Wells tournament is scheduled from March 5th to March 16th.
