"I keep provoking" - Emma Raducanu reveals reason why her coaches leave early

Emma Raducanu recently weighed in on her infamous short-lived stints with coaches over the past couple of years.

Emma Raducanu has received immense backlash for her constantly changing coaching team in recent months.

She tried as many as five coaches within a span of 18 months—a strategy that did not sit well with tennis experts and fans alike.

The Brit shared her thoughts on why her collaborations did not last. She opined that it was her inquisitive nature that bothered the coaches.

"I ask my coaches a lot of questions. On certain occasions they haven't been able to keep up with the questions I've asked and maybe that's why it ended," Raducanu said during her appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today program.

Emma Raducanu stood firm in her approach and explained that she believes in challenging the coaches’ methods so as to better understand their technical decisions.

"It's something I've always done. I keep provoking and asking questions to coaches and challenging their thinking as well. I'm not someone that you can just tell me what do and I'll do it, I need to understand why and then I'll do it," she added.

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Emma Raducanu's coaching history from 2021-2023

Raducanu at the 2023 Indian Wells Open

Emma Raducanu first created buzz during the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, when she reached the second week of the tournament on her main draw debut. At the time, she was coached by Andy Murray’s father-in-law, Nigel Sears.

Just a couple of months later, however, Emma Raducanu teamed up with Andrew Richardson, the coach who famously guided the 20-year-old to her historic US Open win. Surprisingly, Raducanu and Richardson split shortly after her Grand Slam triumph.

She hired a more experienced coach, Torben Beltz, known for his work with three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber. Their collaboration, which started in November 2021, was short-lived as well, lasting just five months.

Raducanu then began training with Dimitry Tursunov on a trial basis. The Russian coach, however, did not extend the contract, citing ‘red flags.’

Her final coach was Sebastian Sachs. Sachs was hired at the tail end of the 2022 season and mentored the Grand Slam champion until she announced her prolonged tennis hiatus due to surgeries.

Raducanu is currently rehabilitating and training with the physical trainers provided by the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association). It now remains to be seen who the Brit teams up with next as she prepares for her 2024 comeback.