Emma Raducanu needs time 'without a coach' like peak Roger Federer to 'figure out herself', says Greg Rusedski
Published 17/02/2026 at 09:34 GMT
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Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu is looking to rediscover her best form, and recently parted ways with head coach Francisco Roig after a disappointing Australian Open. However, former British tennis No. 1 Greg Rusedski suggested that she could improve her game without rushing to replace him, just as Roger Federer did during his career.
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Greg Rusedski believes that Emma Raducanu could benefit from continuing this season without a coach.
The 23-year-old hired Francisco Roig in August 2025 as she looked to get back to her best form.
Raducanu won the US Open in 2021 as a teenager but since that shock success, she has been afflicted by bouts of poor form as well as struggles with various injury problems, including wrist surgery. She continues to search for her next title.
The start of the 2026 season was largely underwhelming. She was beaten by Maria Sakkari in the United Cup, and was knocked out of the Hobart International at the third round stage.
At the Australian Open, another tilt at a Grand Slam ended in disappointment when she was eliminated in the second round.
Radcuanu decided to stop working with Roig after that disappointment, and there have been recent signs of improvement.
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While she was knocked out of the Dubai Open in the first round, she competed in the Winners Open in Romania the weekend before last, and went all the way to the final, before losing 6-0 6-2 to Sorana Cirstea.
Speaking on his podcast, Off Court with Greg, Rusedski compared Raducanu’s situation to a period in the career of former men’s tennis world No. 1 Roger Federer.
"I remember Roger Federer going through a period by himself without a coach, and it was possibly the best thing for him," Rusedski said.
"He figured out certain things for himself and took ownership of it."
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That was a period of time when the Swiss star stopped working with his coach Peter Lundgren in 2003, and then spent a stretch of 2004 without replacing him. During that period, he won the US Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Raducanu’s progress in Transylvania led Rusedski to believe that she has the ability and chance to work on her game alone, and then consider what kind of coach she would like to bring in for the future.
"We saw her [Raducanu] in Romania get to the finals. Yes, she did not perform as well as she would like in the finals," he added.
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"So she has got to figure out herself and figure out the relationship where she sees eye-to-eye with the coach with how she wants to play out there," the former Grand Slam finalist said.
"That is where she has got to have the right mindset with the coach in terms of how she has to play, what her techniques need to be on the court and have that clarity.
"So, a little bit of time away without a coach right now, someone who is just hitting her, might be a real positive until she finds someone who she is on the same page with week in and week out, because she has not found that person yet. Hopefully she does."
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