Italian tennis legend Nicola Pietrangeli was laid to rest in Rome this week, but elsewhere in the tennis world, another major discussion unfolded—this time about Emma Raducanu’s career trajectory.
Patrick Mouratoglou, the former longtime coach of Serena Williams, has offered insight into why Emma Raducanu has struggled to build on the momentum she gained from her stunning 2021 US Open triumph.
That historic win made her only the second British woman since Virginia Wade’s 1977 Wimbledon victory to claim a Grand Slam title.
Now ranked World No. 29, Raducanu has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the 2025 season. However, her campaign came to an early close at the Ningbo Open due to ongoing physical issues.
What Does Mouratoglou Believe Is Holding Raducanu Back?
Speaking with ITV, Mouratoglou—who has coached stars like Naomi Osaka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Simona Halep, Holger Rune, and Grigor Dimitrov—said Raducanu has incredible talent. Yet, in his view, one key issue has slowed her progress: her constant changes in coaching staff.
According to him, the 22-year-old’s frequent coach rotations have interrupted her development and hindered the creation of a stable long-term training plan.
“I think her potential is very big. She’s already won a Grand Slam, but things became difficult for her afterward,” he said. “She’s had far too many coaches. If you look at the most successful players, they follow a long-term path. You need several years with a coach to build a proper project.” (Via Tennis365)
The Impact of Constantly Switching Coaches
Mouratoglou went on to explain that each coaching change essentially resets a player’s entire development strategy—from training methods to mental preparation. This lack of continuity, he suggested, can stop a player from building a solid foundation.
“Whenever you change coaches, you change your project,” he added. “If that happens every six months, it becomes almost impossible. Her biggest challenge is learning to trust one person long enough to build something lasting in her game. If she can do that, she’s absolutely a great player—no doubt.”
A Long List of Coaching Transitions
Raducanu’s coaching journey has indeed been turbulent. She worked with Nigel Sears until mid-2021, then moved to Andrew Richardson, followed by a short stint with Torben Beltz in 2022. Later that year, Dmitry Tursunov briefly joined her team before departing after a trial period. She also collaborated with Sebastian Sachs until June 2023.
In 2024, she reunited with her former junior coach Nick Cavaday, but that partnership ended in early 2025 due to his health issues. Raducanu has also trained under Mark Petchey and is currently working with Francisco Roig, the former longtime coach of Rafael Nadal.
