Emma Raducanu makes it crystal clear what she wants from Rafael Nadal's ex-coach

Aryna Sabalenka

Emma Raducanu sounds ecstatic over adding Francisco Roig to her team and highlights the main thing she wants from Rafael Nadal's former coach is to help her improve her game to the level where she can legitimately challenge the very best in the game. 

Ahead of Cincinnati, the 2021 US Open champion made a major announcement, revealing that Nadal's former coach of 17 years agreed to work with her. 

So far this year, there hasn't been much stability in Raducanu's coaching staff. After Nick Cavaday left the team in late January, the 22-year-old was assisted by some LTA coaches, before having an unsuccessful two-week stint with Vladimir Platenik in March. Ultimately, the British tennis player hired Mark Petchey – but since he has his own commentary commitments – he wasn't a full-time presence in the box until the grass season.

But now, Raducanu's tumultuous 2025 coaching situation may have come to an end with the Roig appointment.

Raducanu: Roig has got a bank of experience… I want the quality of my shots to be better

“It’s going really well, it’s my second day here with him here, but I did a few days in London before I came out here. He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side," the Briton said.

So far in her career, Raducanu has collected three wins against top-10 players. This year, the 22-year-old played against Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen, and lost all of those meetings. Her lone top-10 win of the year came against Emma Navarro in Miami. And that's one aspect that she wants to fix.

“I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better. I think against the very top that’s what it needs, it needs to improve. So I’m hoping that with time – I’m pretty patient, I’m going to try and be pretty patient – that it’ll improve," Raducanu underlined.

In the Cincinnati first round, Raducanu will play against a qualifier.

Raducanu Hires Francisco Roig as New Coach

By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Photo credit: Mubadala Citi DC Open Facebook

Emma Raducanu has hired Franciso Roig in an effort to continue a renaissance season.

The 2021 US Open champion has hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach through the end of the 2025 season, PA News Agency reports.

2017 US Open

The 57-year-old Spaniard was a long-time coaching member of Nadal’s team, later coached Matteo Berrettini and has experience coaching on the WTA Tour as well. Roig, who reached a career-high rank of No. 60 on the ATP Tour, also coached 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Roig succeeds Mark Petchey, who had been coaching Raducanu on an informal basis since the Miami Open. Tennis Channel analyst had agreed to work with Raducanu through the end of the grass-court season, but could not commit to coaching her full time because of his television commentary obligations.

Working with Petchey, who previously coached Andy Murray, Raducanu registered some of her best results in years.

The 22-year-old Raducanu reached quarterfinals at Miami and Queen’s Club and was a semifinalist in Washington, DC. Working with Petchey, Raducanu applied her athleticism and found the joy in her tennis.

The 33rd-ranked Raducanu has defeated former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Marketa Vondrusova in recent months and led world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka by a break in both sets before bowing 7-6(6), 6-4 in the Wimbledon third round.

After that match, Raducanu said she hoped to continue working with Petchey, but understood his position.

“Yeah, it’s very difficult. He obviously also has his commentating commitments,” Raducanu said at Wimbledon. “He agreed to kind of help me until the end of Wimbledon and then we kind of see from there because he gave up some work to work with me here, which I really appreciate and I’m grateful for.”

The challenge Roig faces is encouraging Raducanu to continue to apply her athleticism, all-court skills and versatility, particularly against big hitters, who can overpower her. Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova crushed Raducanu 6-2, 6-1 in Montreal playing bold first-strike tennis.

Still, Raducanu should be encouraged with the strides she made working with Petchey that prompted No. 1 Sabalenka to make a bold assertion about the Briton.

“I cannot predict anything, but I definitely sure that, maybe not in a month, but maybe a bit longer period, but she definitely going to get back in top,” Sabalenka said after her Wimbledon win over Raducanu. “She’s fighting. She’s playing much better.

“She’s more consistent. I can see that mentally she’s healthy. I think that’s really important. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s getting there.”