Emma Raducanu is reported to be seeking the guidance of Mark Petchey – the locum coach who helped her reach the quarter-finals of the recent Miami Open – on a more extended basis.
From Raducanu’s perspective, Petchey’s appeal has never been in doubt. She is increasingly keen to work with people she knew before she became famous. Petchey, who helped tweak various aspects of her technique in the summer of 2020, is a perfect example.
Not only does Raducanu trust Petchey’s technical eye, but they also have a strong personal bond. During her run in Miami, she spoke repeatedly about how much she was enjoying the company of her team – and particularly the games of spikeball they were using as a warm-up routine before matches.
The problem has always been that Petchey is a highly regarded commentator, mainly working for the American network known as the Tennis Channel. This would seem to restrict his availability for much of the year.
Crucially, though, the Tennis Channel does not have the rights for Wimbledon. Indeed, it seems likely that Petchey would be available for much of the grass-court season.
With grass representing Raducanu’s most reliable surface, an alliance through this key period of the summer could work out as a convenient solution for both parties, without requiring Petchey to burn any bridges in his broadcasting career.
A former British No1 from the mid-1990s, Petchey reached a high point of No 80 in the world. But he is probably better known for his commentary – and for the early coaching he did for Andy Murray in the mid-Noughties. They were working together when Murray won his maiden title in San Jose in 2006.
Raducanu has had six full-time coaches since she arrived on the scene in the summer of 2021 – Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dimtry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs and Nick Cavaday – as well as a variety of locums.
After a solid year with Cavaday, she had to start looking again when he stepped down in January on account of chronic health issues. She then experimented with Slovakia’s Vlado Platenik in the build-up to Miami but decided not to sign him on a permanent basis.
