Mark Petchey, Emma Raducanu’s coach, faces significant challenges in guiding the former US Open champion back to consistent success, with two primary issues highlighted by recent reports. As of May 20, 2025, Petchey’s biggest task is balancing his dual roles as Raducanu’s coach and a Tennis Channel commentator, while addressing concerns about her game and physical condition. These challenges have sparked debate among fans and analysts, particularly as Raducanu prepares for the French Open.
The first major issue is Petchey’s scheduling conflicts due to his broadcasting commitments. Sources like GB News and Tennis365 note that his role with Tennis Channel prevents him from dedicating himself fully to Raducanu’s team, creating an “informal” coaching arrangement that has divided opinions. Critics, including BBC 5 Live Tennis, argue that this setup is unsustainable if Raducanu starts losing matches, as Petchey’s absence from key training sessions could hinder her progress. Raducanu herself has expressed comfort with the arrangement, valuing Petchey’s experience and their prior working relationship before her 2021 US Open win. However, the lack of a full-time coach has raised concerns about her ability to refine technical aspects, such as her service motion, which Petchey has been working to disguise with added shoulder turn and power.[](https://www.gbnews.com/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-mark-petchey-role-2671929189)[](https://www.newsbreak.com/pro-football-sports-network-299253692/4001734762437-emma-raducanu-makes-her-feelings-clear-about-her-and-mark-petchey-s-coaching-relationship-during-rome-journey)[](http://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/emma-raducanu-s-agreement-with-mark-petchey-not-a-long-term-solution-warns-former-british-no-1/ar-AA1Ejgvg?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1)
The second issue is Raducanu’s inconsistent performance and fitness, particularly following a back injury that forced her withdrawal from the ASB Classic in January 2025. Petchey himself admitted on commentary during the Australian Open that he “didn’t really like” aspects of Raducanu’s game, pointing to her struggles with power and consistency. He noted her use of a slightly longer racket to boost power, but her third-round exit at the Italian Open to Iga Swiatek highlighted ongoing challenges in maintaining top-level form on clay. Andy Roddick’s recent comment that Raducanu is in a “weird place” mentally further underscores the pressure Petchey faces to stabilize her game and mindset.[]/)
Petchey’s task is to leverage his expertise—honed coaching Andy Murray—to address these technical and mental hurdles while navigating his limited availability. As Raducanu aims to compete at Roland Garros, Petchey’s ability to resolve these issues will be critical to her resurgence
