After battling injuries and inconsistent form, Emma Raducanu entered 2025 with one clear objective: stay healthy. That focus led to the hiring of elite fitness coach Yukata Nakamura and an ambitious start to the season—seven tournaments in just three months. However, her quarterfinal match in Miami against Jessica Pegula raised alarm bells when she revealed feeling “really dizzy…faint.”
Shortly after, Raducanu withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers and the Rouen Open, with her team citing the need for “a little space in the calendar to best look after her body.” Though her decision drew mixed reactions—including criticism from former tennis stars like Andy Roddick—Raducanu has since addressed the reasoning behind her pause.
Raducanu: “I’ve realized less is more for me”
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis ahead of her Madrid Open debut, Raducanu explained her mindset.
“I’ve realized now that less is more for me sometimes,” she said. “I train with high intensity, and I’ve learned that I can overdo it. It’s about maximizing my time on court, then switching off when I’m done.”
She emphasized the importance of balance in a long season, adding, “Sometimes you need matches, but other times you just need to reset.”
During her break, Raducanu spent ten days training in Los Angeles with Mark Petchey—Andy Murray’s former coach—and embraced a mix of court work and hiking in the mountains.
“It was a great training block,” she said. “Mark and I did a lot of good work. It wasn’t just about tennis—it was good to have thought-provoking conversations off court too. It was a perfect balance.”
Coaching Status: Still Unofficial, but Working
Raducanu’s coaching history has been notably turbulent, having worked with seven coaches in under four years. After the brief stint with Vladimir Platenik, Petchey has been helping informally—an arrangement Raducanu seems comfortable with for now.
“We haven’t made anything formal,” she said. “It’s working well and I trust him. It’s nice to have someone around that I feel comfortable with. I’m still figuring out what gets the best out of me.”
Following her mixed history at the Madrid Open—including a third-round debut in 2022 and a first-round exit in 2024—Raducanu now faces a tough draw. She could meet Paula Badosa, Qinwen Zheng, and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the semifinals.
Whether her “less is more” approach and her informal partnership with Petchey will pay off remains to be seen—but the 2021 US Open champion is determined to play by her own rules this time
