Frances Tiafoe has urged Emma Raducanu to find a coach who understands her and can help her return to the top after her 2021 US Open triumph
Frances Tiafoe says he understands why Emma Raducanu may not want to have a coach having experienced similar sentiments himself earlier on in his career, but encouraged the British Women’s number one to find a coach that understands her and can take her back to the top.
Raducanu won the 2021 US Open and became the first British woman to win a major in singles since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships. However, she’s not been able to recapture that form and has had several coaches since then.
ATP world No.22, Tiafoe, said: “There was a time when I was her age where I didn’t want it. But sometimes you have to look in the mirror and be, like, what do you actually really need, how much you actually want?
“Not to say any way for her, but I’m just saying, for me, this is how I feel right now. Look, she’s so good and she’s so talented, obviously she’s a worker, she’s a Grand Slam champion.
“I just think she just needs to find someone who is going to really be there for her and be there with her ups and downs and her trying to get back to the top of the game where she deserves to be.”
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Those remarks come just a few days after Coco Gauff admitted she would struggle to play in Raducanu’s circumstances, after both players secured their place in the Round of 32 at Indian Wells. Speaking after her victory over Uzbekistani star Kamilla Rakhimova, Gauff stated: “I don’t think it would go well. There are tournaments where I maybe don’t listen to my coach that much at all, so maybe it is self-coach.
“No, I think, I mean, for me personally, I feel like it’s always good to have some direction. I feel like the team I have now, they don’t overcoach. They let me, you know, think it through.
“Like today I didn’t look at my box for advice once. That’s how I usually prefer it. But, you know, I don’t know, I think it’s nice to have a coach with you, but every player is different.
“I know some players can play well without one, and some prefer just maybe someone like a hitting partner/coach. But I feel like with all the changes I’m making in my game, I think I would get pretty lost without one.”
Raducanu has enjoyed a strong start at Indian Wells with a commanding straight set 6-1, 6-3 victory over Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova.
However, her next match is against Wimbledon finalist and World No. 6 Amanda Anisimova in the Round of 32. When asked about her win over Zakharova, Raducanu said: “That was a great show of my game today, I think I played really well.
“I don’t think it’s perfect yet, but I think it’s a lot better from where I was feeling. I’m not necessarily aiming for the stars right now. I think I just want to be doing my game better and better.
“I think whatever I put on the court, if I apply myself like I did today, I think I’ll be proud of myself, and I think I’ll be in a good place.”
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