It looks like Emma Raducanu has found what she’s been seeking for in coach Mark Petchey, as both parties are in talks.
The 22-year-old parted ways with Nick Cavaday in January due to him prioritising his health, Vladimir Platenik who was on a two-week trial to succeed Cavaday did not make the cut and was chopped off by the young lady. Petchey, who is a former tennis player, is not a stranger in Raducanu’s circle as he trained with her in the pandemic summer of 2020. He later joined the team in the Miami Open alongside Jane O’Donoghe, his mentor, taking Raducanu to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
When asked what she thinks about Petchey and how it felt working with him, the former British number one said the 54-year-old is one of the people she has built trust with when it comes to her career, she can switch off and have fun while playing
“ I think just a relaxed environment, but focused when needs to be. “I’m someone who works hard and can be intense, but sometimes too intense. I guess in that way it’s harder to be extremely focused when you need to be on the match because you’re focused from the first minute to the last. So, I think just being able to switch off and have fun with them and play Spikeball before the match, and we just create certain routines. Yeah, they bring small doses of happiness that I guess just keep you going, the small things. Just having them around, people that I trust, yeah, I think that’s probably when I started feeling a bit better off the court. That was translated on the court. I was freer.”
Looking at Petchey’s coaching history, he once coached Andy Murray at the age of 18 and he won his first ATP Tour title. His professional tennis career started in 1988, working his way up he reached world no 80 in August 1994, one of his best performances was in 1997 at Wimbledon when he lost against Boris Becker in the third round.
He took a break from playing on the court and went behind the mic and in front of the camera when he joined Tennis Channel as a Presenter. He also worked for Prime, ITV ,BBC, Sky Sports, Tennis Australia, to name a few broadcasting networks.
Raducanu is now preparing for the Madrid Open, which will take place from April 25 until May 3 , with fans, commentators, and professional tennis experts hoping she will be by then have ended her coach search.
