Emma Raducanu’s search for a new coach may be about to come to an end.
According to the BBC, the former US Open Champion is in talks with Mark Petchey over a full-time coaching role.
Petchey was in Raducanu’s coaching box alongside Jane O’Donoghue for the 22-year-old’s impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open
It was the first time Raducanu had reached the final eight of a WTA 1,000 event in her career and was also the most wins she had picked up in a single tournament since her triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2021.
However, a major hurdle that could prevent a long-term partnership being formalised is Petchey’s role as a commentator for the Tennis Channel.
Raducanu and Petchey previously worked together during the pandemic in 2020 at the National Tennis Centre in London.
The 22-year-old would not be the first British grand slam champion Petchey has coached.
Petchey, 54, previously coached Murray for 10 months when the Scot was 18.
Under Petchey’s tutelage, Murray won his first ATP title in San Jose in 2006.
Murray reeled off the scalps of former grand slam champions Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt on his way to glory in San Jose.
Should Raducanu and Petchey come to an agreement, the 54-year-old would be her first full-time coach after Nick Cavaday stepped down from the role in January due to health reasons.
Raducanu spent two weeks working with Vladimir Platenik through Indian Wells but the Brit ended the partnership on the eve of the Miami Open.
The 22-year-old described Platenik as ‘very serious and very professional’ but cautioned the pair still needed to get to know each other better on and off the court.
Speaking to the BBC, Platenik said he fully understood why Raducanu wanted to call time on their two-week trial.
“The world is looking at her after the US Open [which she won in 2021] and everybody is expecting – including herself – what she is going to do next,” Platenik said.
“So for me it’s absolutely understandable that she’s under a lot of pressure. She told me she was feeling stressed.
“There are no hard feelings from my side. She finished the relationship in a fair way, maybe too quickly, but this is tennis, this is sport. We need to respect that.
“She was not feeling okay, and that was her decision. I didn’t want to go into deeper communication about that. I think the player needs to feel good, and the player needs to make a decision.
“Sometimes you make a good decision, and sometimes bad.”
Despite the split, Platenik confirmed he would be open to a reunion with Raducanu in the future.
But there may not be a need for that should Raducanu and Petchey reach an agreement.
