Francis Roig was a part of Rafael Nadal’s staff between 2005 and 2022, whereas he just lately labored with former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, however can he flip Emma Raducanu’s Grand Slam fortunes round forward of the US Open?
The 22-year-old labored with British coach Mark Petchey on a casual foundation since March however as a result of he retains quite a lot of TV commitments which stop him from teaching Raducanu on a full-time foundation, she has now added Roig to her staff.
Spanish coach Roig labored alongside Nadal and with Nadal’s uncle Toni for almost all of his profession, throughout which he gained 22 Grand Slams.
Sky Sports activities’ spoke with Emma Raducanu after including Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig to her staff forward of the US Open
The 57-year-old later labored alongside each Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez after ‘Uncle Toni’ stepped again in 2017.
After leaving Nadal’s staff, Roig initially began working with former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, and most just lately spent 10 months answerable for 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
The partnership proved to be a fruitful one with Berrettini profitable titles in Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel below Roig’s steering.
He joins Raducanu’s teaching set-up as she appears to be like to safe a top-32 seeding for this month’s US Open, reside on Sky Sports activities.
She has not had a everlasting coach since Nick Cavaday stepped apart for well being causes in January, though he re-joined her staff, which included Petchey and mentor Jane O’Donoghue for the grass-court season.
Raducanu has beforehand labored with a variety of coaches together with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson – who was in cost throughout her run to the US Open title in 2021 – Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs.
Earlier this 12 months, Raducanu ended a trial with Slovakian coach Vladimir Platenik after simply two weeks.
The Briton has reached the final eight on the Miami Open, the fourth spherical on the Italian Open, the quarter-finals at Queen’s Membership adopted by a round-three exit to Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon and a semi-final exhibiting on the Citi Open in Washington DC.
‘Roig top-of-the-line appointments’
Highlights of the quarter-final match between Emma Raducanu and Maria Sakkari on the Mubadala Citi DC Open
Former British No 1 Annabel Croft has known as Roig “top-of-the-line appointments” of Raducanu’s profession.
“I feel he is an excellent appointment, top-of-the-line appointments,” Croft stated. “Anybody who has had that a lot expertise with Rafael Nadal, it is unbelievable. I’ve at all times admired him, I at all times thought any individual like him may be excellent for her. So I am excited in regards to the reality she’s chosen him.
“He is very disciplined and detailed. I feel if she likes technical recommendation, which I feel she does, I keep in mind watching him many instances with Rafael Nadal discussing the swing path, he is clearly very technically minded however all Spanish coaches are so good tactically as nicely.”
Jonathan Overend has known as Mark Petchey’s transient teaching spell with Raducanu “an experiment”
Commentator Jonathan Overend admits Raducanu has “caught everybody abruptly” with the appointment of the Spaniard.
“It is an appointment which is somewhat little bit of a shock principally due to the explanations she talked about when she was having fun with her spell with Mark Petchey and Jane O’Donoghue, she talked about the necessity to actually get together with the members of her staff, for the environment to be good, and virtually playful in a means and it did really feel when the environment is like that and she or he feels relaxed, perhaps that is what brings the very best out of her,” stated Overend.
“To go for a coach with much more expertise within the recreation, a international coach, not for the primary time of her profession, she’s trying to attract on the expertise Roig has.
“There should be one thing in regards to the relationship which clicked when she spoke to him as a result of it will be an enormous shock if she went with somebody with whom the environment perhaps goes to the way it was with a few of her earlier coaches. I am not saying that would not work however it will be a shock given her phrases in the course of the Petchey experiment.”
Behind each nice participant…
Have a look again at Emma Raducanu’s unbelievable win on the 2021 US Open…
Overend mirrored on all the nice gamers having a relentless determine within the background, pointing to Novak Djokovic working with Marian Vajda, Roger Federer with Severin Luthi and Nadal with Roig.
He stated: “Roig was the man who was within the observe courts, behind the scenes, providing plenty of the strategic recommendation. Undoubtedly, he has a wealth of expertise that he can carry to Emma Raducanu as she continues to develop her recreation.”
The US Open begins later this month and Raducanu revealed that she is working with Roig on sure areas to enhance.
She stated: “I am engaged on the standard of my pictures to be higher. I feel towards the very high that is what it wants, it wants to enhance.
“So I am hoping that with time – I am fairly affected person, I will attempt to be fairly affected person – that it will enhance.”
Raducanu is at present ranked world No 39 and has gained 23 of her 39 WTA matches in 2025 with momentum constructing forward of Flushing Meadows as she goals for a deep run at this week’s Cincinnati Open.
Croft added: “You have a look at her and suppose, ‘what a expertise, you have bought all the pieces’. Strikes fantastically, she’s bought decisions, has selection, creativity. I feel she’s a good looking tennis participant and it is all about getting the matches and the momentum going and increase the financial institution as I name it and this 12 months she’s undoubtedly constructed up a much bigger financial institution of matches, and match wins, and that counts for one thing. I feel she’s taking part in rather well.”
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