Solo mission: has Emma Raducanu finally found the ideal coaching setup?

Emma Raducanu will return to the world’s top 50 this week, after enjoying the most successful run of her tennis career since winning the US Open at the age of 18.

Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open to record her longest streak of victories on the tour since that Grand Slam success of September 2021 in New York.

Amid injuries, loss of form and even a personal attack just weeks ago while on court in Dubai, Raducanu’s career has been largely renowned for regular shake-ups of her team in a bid to maximise performance. To date, she has worked with seven full-time coaches in her young career, yet her latest renaissance has been achieved without the aid of one.

Dr Amit Rawal, Lecturer in Management at Bayes Business School, believes in self-coaching as an accessible tool, and said Raducanu’s success shows the importance of getting the right relationship between coach and coachee.

“There are vast benefits that an effective tennis coach can provide to their coachee, beyond physical and technical enhancement and towards building psychological resilience,” he said.

“From a resilience perspective, a coach can enable their coachee to manage nerves, high pressure situations and build antifragility, which means that they can grow from adversity. They can also provide emotional support and be a consistent motivational anchor to keep the individual going.

“However, while a coach can provide powerful assistance, the relationship between a coach and their client can reach a point where it does not serve the same purpose and benefits as it originally did.

"In fact, both coach and coachee can outgrow each other as the player’s identity changes and the previous way of coaching is no longer suitable.

“This could result in a player feeling either over or under-coached, but also an emotional drain from the breakdown of a coaching relationship. In Raducanu’s case, this could be more prominent as constant changes mean a likely lack of continuity or consistency in coaching, and result in a sense of ‘freedom’ to not be working with one.”

Dr Rawal, an accredited life coach, says individuals in any coaching agreement should approach the relationship with open, honest mindsets.

“A successful coach must build psychological safe spaces for their coachees to open up.

“At the same time, they must come with an open mind and treat coachees with unconditional positive regard – as they know what is best for themselves. This approach is imperative for raising coachees’ awareness of strengths, areas of development, values and beliefs while making them feel empowered and not micromanaged.

“Being open as a coach also means recognising that what might have worked previously may not work now, as coachees can develop different needs throughout the relationship. Finding other ways to motivate them using clear communication tools is therefore critical.

“Raducanu’s constant switching of coaches and newfound success without one may just be a sign that she is yet to find the right individual for her.”

All quotes can be attributed to Dr Amit Rawal, Lecturer in Management at Bayes Business School.