Emma Raducanu: Doesn’t Want Her Natural Playing Style “Coached Out” Of Her
Emma Raducanu has decided she needs a coach who syncs with her aggressive, instinctual playing style, rather than someone who bucks that vibe.
Britain’s current top-ranked woman expanded on her tennis philosophy at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells 2026 after parting ways with coach Francisco Roig. Raducanu is currently working with Mark Petchey again on a temporary basis.
Emma Raducanu: Aggressive Baseline Playing Style
Raducanu explained that she prefers to play with freedom and instinct. She says her natural, organic style “was being coached out of me.”
Roig, a former Spanish player who coached Rafael Nadal, is famously known for precision, discipline and control with his shot choices on a tennis court.
“Some coaches… want me to play high percentage all the time, and then I feel stuck in something that I’m not necessarily enjoying and I haven’t practiced changing or doing something else,” Raducanu said.
She added that she dreaded being scolded by her coach if she saw a lower percentage shot and “went for it” but missed. Key here: Raducanu mentioned several times how important enjoyment is. In other words, forcing her to be someone she’s not makes her miserable.
Currently ranked 24 in the world, Raducanu has worked with at least nine different coaches in her relatively short career.
Zverev’s Take On Tennis Coaching
Alexander Zverev was asked about the high rate of turnover in Raducanu’s coaching camp and said it would not work for him. “I think Emma is a special case. I love her, I really love her, but it’s a very different case from mine. I’ve been with the same coach for 28 years. It’s her thing, but I like to surround myself with my people,” Zverev said.
Emma Raducanu: Analysis
A few things here. It’s a peculiarity of a sport like tennis that the boss is not the coach– the player is. A coach is paid to tell the player what to do– but only up to a point. It’s tricky that way.
Secondly, what works for one player does not work for another. Raducanu likes constantly fresh perspectives, while Zverev relishes routines and steadiness. These are two highly successful tennis players. To each their own.
Finally, tennis is the ultimate tactical battle which hinges on the push-pull of aggression versus defense. Each player must decide constantly, on a shot-by-shot basis, where they land on that spectrum of aggression to defense. It’s likely one reason why people who play the sport live so long– the philosophical challenge is never ending.
