Emma Raducanu splits with Francisco Roig after Australian Open loss as coaching carousel continues
Published 29/01/2026 at 18:07 GMT
Emma Raducanu and Francisco Roig have parted ways following her loss to Anastasia Potapova in the second round of the Australian Open. The two began working together just six months ago, with Roig joining her camp in August as the latest in a long line of coaches since her US Open triumph in 2021. Live coverage of the Australian Open is on TNT Sports and discovery+.
'Lost' Raducanu must focus on 'physical' side of game after disappointment - Expert reaction
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Emma Raducanu has split with her coach Francisco Roig, just six months after starting work with him.
The 23-year-old has now parted ways with a ninth coach in her short professional career, and it comes a week after her second-round defeat to Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open.
Roig, who spent 18 years working with Rafael Nadal, joined Raducanu's camp before the US Open in August.
In a statement shared to social media, Raducanu said: "Francis, thank you for our time together. You have been more than a coach to me and I will cherish the many good times we spent together on and off the court.
"While we have come to the conclusion together that we ought not to move forward, please know that I am very grateful for all you have taught me and fond of our time shared."
Following her loss to Potapova in straight sets, she indicated she wanted to re-evaluate and switch up her playing style.
"I mean, at the end of the day, I just want to hit the ball to the corners and hard," she said following her loss.
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'I want to play a different way' - Raducanu reacts after shock Australian Open exit
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"I feel like I'm doing all this variety, and it's not doing what I want it to do. I need to just work on playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger.
"I always just changed direction, took the ball early, and went for it. I think I do have the ability to do many things on the court, but I feel like as I'm learning all those skills, it's like I need to stick to my guns a bit as well and work on that."
The split between the two was a mutual decision and that "their highly-respected relationship" ended on "good terms," according to her team.
Including interim and short, temporary appointments, Raducanu's list of coaches now stretches into double figures since reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2021.
Roig departs her team after just six months, much of which was interrupted by injury in the latter half of 2025.
Her carousel of coaches continues, and she has struggled to find a permanent partner ever since her famous US Open win in 2021.
She was coached by Andrew Richardson at the time, whom she surprisingly parted with following the victory, in order to work with someone with elite-level WTA Tour experience.
By the time Wimbledon came around in 2022 she was working under the short-term teaching of mentor Jane O'Donoghue after the dismissal of Torben Beltz, who lasted six months.
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Watch as Britain's Raducanu is knocked out in second-round shock
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Dmitry Tursunov had a short trial period with the British player and was outspoken about "red flags," calling her a two-and-a-half-year project in 2022.
Sebastian Sachs followed and lasted just 10 matches, largely due to multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation that Raducanu required in 2023.
She returned under the guidance of Nick Cavaday and found improvement during their 14-month partnership, before Cavaday was forced to step down in early 2025 due to personal health issues.
A short trial with Slovakian coach Vlado Platenik lasting just 14 days gave away to Mark Petchey joining her team, and their four-month effort produced some of Raducanu's best tennis in years as her game stabilised and she reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.
Petchey was never a full-time appointment, and could not commit due to his television commitments.
Stream every match of the 2026 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+
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