Secret Motive Revealed: Nadal’s Mentor Using Raducanu as ‘Guinea Pig’ to Settle Old Score with Federer Camp Amidst Controversies Due To…
Emma Raducanu has jetted to Barcelona to start a pre-season training block with Spanish coach Francisco Roig, and she’ll come back as a “better” version of herself. The British No. 1 hired Rafael Nadal’s old mentor over the summer, and they have agreed to extend their partnership into next season. After pulling out of two exhibition matches in America due to light bone bruising in her right foot, Raducanu is ready to get back on the practice courts with Roig in tow.
“I think we’re going to continue doing what we have been. I mean I did have to take a little bit of time after the season with my foot and I got sick. But I think just continue…it’s not like a secret sauce that we’re going to do,” the 23-year-old explained.
“We’re just going to keep the consistency of what we’re working on and the improvements that we’ve been making. Spend some more time on the court, because I’ve been doing a lot in the gym, but now I need to start transitioning.”
Raducanu isn’t ready to go “flat out” on the court just yet following her latest injury setback. But the world No. 29 is building back up – and Roig now wants her to focus on becoming the best version of herself.
The former US Open champion added: “He’s wanted me to focus a lot more on building a better Emma Raducanu and a better base level. It’s something that I don’t think I’ve necessarily done before. I’ve always been more tactical, more just having to exploit their weaknesses if they have any, and trying to be very crafty in that sense. And it works. But of course, the ideal is that you don’t have to necessarily think too much about the other players, and you can just go and execute your game and know that you can win.
“But I think with certain dispositions in terms of, like, my weapons or power, I don’t necessarily have something that can just blow someone off the court like that. So I do have to use my skill, use my brain a little bit more. But I also think that with Francis, he’s trying to build a better quality, not necessarily by changing my physiological capacities, just by using better technique, using better timing and using better movement.”
Emma Raducanu admitted that she didn’t have weapons to ‘blow someone off the court with’ (Image: Getty)
Raducanu has already found form with Roig in her corner. She pushed world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to a final-set tiebreak in one of their first tournaments together at the Cincinnati Open. It came weeks after the Brit also caused Sabalenka some trouble in the third round of Wimbledon – and both matches gave her plenty of confidence.
The 23-year-old’s season ended on something of a tough note, however. Raducanu blew match points in back-to-back tournaments, losing to Barbora Krejcikova in Seoul and Jessica Pegula in Beijing. She then became unwell and suffered some early exits before ending her season – but Raducanu has still taken the positives from that match against world No. 6 Pegula.
“I think my goal with him for next year is going to try and take a bit more control of the points. Not in an overly aggressive way, just pretty controlled, but moving the ball around. And I think my match with Jessica Pegula in Beijing was a pretty good example of how I would want to kind of play going forward,” she said.
“I think I was very proactive in switching up the flights, the spins and being aggressive when I could. So I think just bringing in some new variety, but also not necessarily running all the time.”
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Going into 2026, Raducanu has all but ticked off one major goal – being seeded at a Grand Slam tournament. The top 32 players get the protection of a seeding at the Majors, and Raducanu currently sits at No. 29. Moving forward, the British No. 1 would obviously love to in Wimbledon, but she’s setting more realistic aims.
2Comments
5Comments
9Comments
1Comments
16Comments
2Comments
5Comments
9Comments
9Comments
1Comments
2Comments
2Comments
5Comments
9Comments
1Comments
16Comments
2Comments
5Comments
9Comments
9Comments
1Comments
2Comments
2Comments
5Comments
“That’s always going to be a wish. You know, if you had, like a magic genie, like you want to win Wimbledon, that’s the goal for everyone,” she smiled.
“But other than that, I think I am pretty realistic. I want to continue building my game in a way that is healthy, in an environment that is healthy with my team, with how I approach the game, the space that I’m in.
“Mentally just feeling positive towards tennis, feeling like I want to go on court. I want to train, and kind of looking at it a bit less emotionally as well. Just seeing it for what it is, and moving forward and progress and improvement. Because I think when you look back and just see, you know, steps that you made, or at the end of the day, you got a little bit better, I think that’s all you can kind of ask for, really.”
Leave a Reply