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Emma Raducanu suffered her third consecutive defeat after Marketa Vondrousova handed her a 6-3, 6-4 loss in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open 2025. She reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time this year but hasn't been able to build upon that. Furthermore, Nick Cavaday, her coach of 14 months, had to step down from his position due to health reasons.
The young Brit became an overnight sensation with her title-winning run at the US Open 2021 as a qualifier. However, her career has witnessed plenty of turmoil since then. A string of injuries has sidelined her every few months, and surprisingly, it was only towards the end of last year that she hired Yutaka Nakamura as her full-time fitness trainer.
Raducanu will now aim to complete her coaching entourage by hiring another full-time coach. She's currently working with Roman Kelecic, her childhood mentor, on a temporary basis. Her near constant rotation of coaches has always puzzled everyone.
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After parting ways with Andrew Richardson, shortly after he led Raducanu to the US Open title, she has worked with the likes of Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs, among others. An obvious choice for Raducanu would be her fellow Brit and three-time Major champion Andy Murray, one of the most successful players of all time.
Following his retirement last year, Murray teamed up with his former rival Novak Djokovic as his coach. Their arrangement was limited to the Australian swing, and the duo will reconsider their partnership now that the season's first Major is done and dusted. If they decide to terminate their contract, then the Brit could be free to take up another gig.
There are plenty of reasons for Raducanu to hire Murray. Aside from his numerous accomplishments on the court, he has also dealt with recurring physical issues, especially towards the end of his career. He can certainly empathize with his younger compatriot, and guide her on how to navigate her injury woes. However, there's one big reason why he isn't the right choice for her at the moment.
Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray's contrasting style of play may not mix well
Andy Murray was primarily a defensive baseliner during his time, and built his game around those attributes. He did switch things up over the course of his career but first-strike tennis was never his brand of tennis. Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, rose to prominence due to her aggressive style of play, which fetched her the US Open title.
Raducanu needs someone who will bring out those instincts in her once again. She doesn't need to build her game around extending rallies given her tendency to get injured frequently. Counterpunching is likely to prove detrimental to her in the long run. That isn't to say Murray won't build her game around those tactics but someone who played with a similar attacking mindset would be a better fit.
Raducanu's serve has also deteriorated in recent months. While the sample size is small, she has been broken at least five times in her five matches this season. She has won only 32 percent of points on the back of her second serve this year, which is well behind her average of around 45 percent from 2021 to 2024.
Without a strong serve, Raducanu isn't going to make a deep run at any tournament. While Murray had a pretty good serve, he certainly lagged behind some of his notable peers in that department.
The 22-year-old needs someone who will add more pop to her serve. Goran Ivanisevic, whose tenure as Elena Rybakina's coach concluded recently and was short-lived, could help her in that regard. He was one of the most dominant servers of his time.
Another reason why Murray isn't the ideal candidate as Raducanu's coach is his potential reluctance to commit to a full-time schedule. Having retired only last year, he would want to take some well-deserved rest as well.
Andy Murray may not be able to join Emma Raducanu on the road for the entire year
The tennis season is quite long, and Andy Murray knows it quite well after competing on the tour for two decades. After giving it his all for so long, he would certainly want to spend some quality time with his family. Even during his current gig as Novak Djokovic's coach, he was only by his side at the Australian Open, and wasn't with him during the Brisbane International.
Emma Raducanu expressed her intention to play a full schedule after missing out on regular match play due to recurring injuries. Getting more competitive matches under her belt is the right idea. However, Murray may not be able to join her on the road for the entire season.
Raducanu needs a coach who will be by her side throughout the year as she attempts to regain her place at the top of the sport. Additionally, she may not be able to take full advantage of WTA's rule of on-court coaching if she has a coach who's not available on a full-time basis.
Murray has proven himself as a player, and after helping Djokovic reach the semifinals of the Australian Open, he has started his coaching career on the right note as well. The Serb also incorporated some tricks from his rival's playbook quite effectively. However, despite his accomplishments, the Brit isn't the coach Raducanu needs at this point in her career.
