Emma Raducanu split with German coach Torben Beltz last month and is presently without a full-time coach
Emma Raducanu is set to begin her first WTA career stint on clay and she’s without a coach! The British teenager is set to start her campaign at the Italian Open later today against Bianca Andreescu. She has had mixed results following her maiden Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open but has had an encouraging run in the clay-court season where she reached the Stuttgart quarter-finals and Madrid last-16.
Ahead of the tournament in Rome, Raducanu revealed that she likes the independence she is getting right now without a coach. “I’d describe myself as a loner. For the past year, I’ve had a lot of people around me a lot and very often. To be on my own is interesting because I’m kind of finding out a lot about myself, understanding what I need and what I don’t need”, she said.
Emma Raducanu is ready for a fresh new challenge on clay
Emma Raducanu is very new when it comes to playing on clay surface. She played her first-ever professional match on clay surface last month while representing Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup. She registered her first professional win on clay surface in that tournament itself and would be looking to draw confidence from that win.
Speaking on her experiences of playing on clay so far and the preparations ahead, Raducanu said, “Clay is very new to me. I definitely feel like I have been progressing with each week, improving, getting a better understanding of how to play points, when to stay in the point or when to stay aggressive. I don’t think I’m like the finished product at all. But, yeah, I’m heading in a good direction.”
Despite not having a full-time coach, the 19-year-old is happy with her progress. The Lawn Tennis Association’s head of women’s tennis, Iain Bates, has been providing support for Raducanu and will continue to work with the teenager.
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