Emma Raducanu’s Interim Trainer Once Dropped Truth Bomb, Calling Working With Her Could Have Been ‘Coaching Suicide’
Emma Raducanu’s Coaching Woes Continue as She Parts Ways with Interim Coach Before Miami Open
Trying to build stability without a solid foundation is a near-impossible task—something Emma Raducanu has struggled with in 2025. “I’m the kind of person who needs a plan and preparation,” she once admitted. Yet, this season has given her anything but stability. After a disappointing Australian Open, she sought structure by bringing in Vlado Platenik as an interim coach for a two-week trial. However, her struggles continued with early exits in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai, culminating in another early departure at Indian Wells. Just when she aimed for steadiness, another shake-up arrived—her partnership with Platenik was abruptly dissolved just 14 days into the trial.
Platenik, known for coaching Daria Kasatkina, Dominika Cibulková, Veronika Kudermetova, and Lulu Sun, had a brief stint in Raducanu’s camp. However, their collaboration ended after her first-round loss to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. A statement from Raducanu’s spokesperson, reported by Sky Sports on March 20, confirmed the split:
“Emma has the utmost respect for Vlado and the work they started, but it wasn’t quite heading in the right direction.”
Platenik’s Skepticism Before Joining Raducanu
Interestingly, Platenik had turned down the coaching role twice before finally accepting it. In an interview with Slovakian newspaper Dennik N on March 6, he admitted that he initially viewed coaching Raducanu as “suicide.”
“Emma also approached me right after her great success in 2021, and that’s why I said it could be coaching suicide,” he explained, as reported by The Times on March 19.
Despite his reservations, Platenik still expressed optimism about Raducanu’s future:
“Now she’s in a completely different position. She’s already gone through hell and endured the worst.”
However, their partnership ended before they could build long-term momentum, marking Raducanu’s seventh coaching change in three years.
Her previous coach, Nick Cavaday, left in January after 14 months together, citing personal reasons. Before him, she worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson (her coach during the 2021 US Open win), Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs.
Raducanu Bounces Back in Miami Open
Despite her coaching instability, Raducanu seems unfazed—at least for now. After a rough couple of months, she kicked off her Miami Open campaign in dominant fashion, showing signs of resurgence.
Her struggles haven’t been limited to on-court form. Last month in Dubai, she endured a terrifying experience when a man stalked her during her match against Karolina Muchova. The WTA later confirmed that he “exhibited fixated behavior” and was subsequently arrested and banned from all future WTA events. Raducanu has since moved forward with a renewed focus, and her Miami Open performance reflects that.
On Thursday, she cruised through her opening match, defeating Japan’s Sayaka Ishii 6-2, 6-1 in just 65 minutes. While it’s too early to declare a full comeback, this decisive win is certainly a step in the right direction.
However, her next challenge won’t be easy. In the second round (R64), she faces Karolina Muchova—who previously defeated her in Dubai with a tight 7-6(6), 6-4 victory. Muchova also leads their head-to-head record 1-0.
Who’s Next as Raducanu’s Coach?
For now, Raducanu continues her search for a permanent coach. In the meantime, she’s receiving guidance from longtime friend and childhood mentor Jane O’Donoghue.
Will she finally break her streak of inconsistency and make a deep run in Miami? Or is another early exit looming? Let us know your thoughts below!
