Emma Raducanu splits from Rafael Nadal's former coach Francisco Roig

Thursday, 29 January 2026 at 16:50

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byJordan Reynolds

Emma Raducanu has made yet another coaching change after she and Francisco Roig decided to end their partnership.

Despite being just 23, Raducanu has had more coaches in her professional career than most have had by the time they retire. Her approach has caused criticism, with many believing she would benefit from staying with one person for a few seasons.

After working with Nigel Sears for three months until July 2021, she won the 2021 US Open with Andrew Richardson as an 18-year-old qualifier. Despite that astonishing success, Raducanu shocked by firing him in the same month as that historic moment.

Angelique Kerber's former coach Torben Beltz, Dimitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs came and went until June 2023. Raducanu's longest stint was with Nick Cavaday, one of her childhood coaches, before he stepped away for family reasons in January 2025 after just over a year.

Mark Petchey worked with Raducanu on an informal basis for a few months before Roig's appointment in August 2025. He was on Rafael Nadal's team from 2005 to 2022, then served as Matteo Berrettini's coach from December 2023 to October 2024.

Roig helped Berrettini to win three titles, and his appointment as Raducanu's coach generated excitement. Although results were not breathtakingly good in the closing stages of 2025, there were some encouraging signs.

However, there were signs that Raducanu was unhappy with her direction under Roig after she lost to Anastasia Potapova in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open. The Briton mentioned she was trying to use more variety when she actually wanted to hit through her shots.

Therefore, Raducanu's announcement in an Instagram story about Roig leaving her team was very surprising. The former US Open winner revealed they made the decision together, and seemed sincere when thanking him for their time together.

"Francis, thank you for our time together. You have been more than a coach to me, and I will cherish the many good times we spent together on and off the court. While we have come to the conclusion together that we ought not to move forward, please know that I am grateful for all you have taught me and fond of our time shared."

Who Raducanu appoints next will be fascinating. Despite her being an exceptional player, many top coaches might be hesitant about working with the Grand Slam champion because of her history of swiftly removing coaches.

Emma Raducanu will be back in action next week

Rather than taking stock after splitting from Francisco Roig, Raducanu is scheduled to appear at the 2026 Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca. Unless a higher-ranked player receives a wild card, she will be the top seed.

Many are surprised that Raducanu has not reached a final since her stunning run to the US Open title over four years ago. A WTA 250 tournament, especially one held the week after a Grand Slam, is probably her best chance of changing that record.

One woman who will not appear again until at least mid-February is Naomi Osaka. She withdrew from the 2026 Qatar Open in Doha because of an abdominal injury. That problem stopped her Australian Open run before the third round.