"Wonder whether she's better off without a coach": Emma Raducanu receives doubtful look at Mark Petchey reunion

Saturday, 28 February 2026 at 02:00

Emma Raducanu might be better off without a coach in the view of Tim Henman after the surprise but not surprise reunion between Mark Petchey and the former US Open champion earlier this week.

Raducanu said that she wasn't looking to hire a new coach with the Brit working with Alexis Canter and plotting her own course but then she suddenly returned to Mark Petchey ahead of the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami.

Albeit Petchey will never be a full time solution which has always been a bone of contention. While they have always worked so well together, he has broadcast commitments and given that Raducanu has gone through so many coaches over the years, it is safe to say that she isn't a sure fix when it comes to keeping anyone around.

"I just wonder whether she's better off without a coach and that's nothing against Petch," said Henman to Sky Sports. "He's someone I've known for a long time and he's a very, very good coach but we know it's not going to be a full-time appointment because Petch has his broadcast commitments.

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"Emma has talked about her identity, her game style and she wants to own it. She's been around long enough on the tour so I wonder whether that might be a good option for her but it's her prerogative.

"I worked with three coaches in 15 years. I like the consistency and continuity and we know that coaches don't last long working with Emma.

"An aggressive game style is how you have to play. You have got to be aggressive because if you don't your opponent will be and for me. I want to see her build her physicality: to get stronger, more resilient, to hit the ball harder.

"And I think if she does that, that'll mean that she has less interruptions and less little setbacks physically. She'll be able to compete at a high level for longer periods, so if I could add one element it would be the physical side.

"Raducanu does work on her physical side. I think her tennis game is outstanding but when you think of the physicality of Sabalenka, Swiatek, Rybakina, Gauff, she's not in the same league. The physicality is the biggest challenge."

Emma Raducanu competing at the 2025 US Open

Emma Raducanu celebrating winning a point at the 2025 US Open

Robson says why not to return for Petchey

Laura Robson also spoke about it on Sky Sports and the former British No.1 takes more of a view of let's see what happens over dismissing it from the very start and that Raducanu needs to add more variety to stay with the big names.

"I think we make such a big deal out of the coaching situation and as long as she is feeling happy on the court, as long as she's confident out there then that's half the job done, and that's what coaches try and bring out in you when you do have one.

"She obviously gets on really well with Petch. They've been on and off for a fair few years now and it's someone she knows. They have the same ideas. They agree on so much that she needs to bring out there, so why not?

"As long as you've got someone who's taking care of the boring stuff like the logistics of booking practice, finding someone to practice with, racket re-strings - all of that. As long as that's taken care of, then you can just focus on trying to play.

"They have the same identity of how both of them feel she should be as a player."

"It feels like everyone is adding different elements to their game all the time, so at the moment it feels like she wants to add that aggression back into her game and once you've got that you can start thinking about adding more variety again so you've got more strings to your bow.

"But you want to have a clear identity as a player before you go out onto any match court - so long as that's defined in your mind then that's half the job done."

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Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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