Grand slam champion Emma Raducanu has announced another coaching separation, this time ending her partnership with Spaniard Francis Roig. The news comes shortly after her second-round departure from the Australian Open, marking the latest chapter in her career's revolving door of mentors.
A Brief Partnership Comes to an End
The 23-year-old British player, who famously won the US Open as a qualifier nearly five years ago, teamed up with Roig in August last year. However, on Thursday, Raducanu shared a photo of the pair on a golf course alongside an announcement that their collaboration had concluded.
"Francis, thank you for our time together," Raducanu wrote just days before her next tournament in Romania. "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."
She added, "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."
Roig's Background and Raducanu's Coaching History
Francis Roig is best known for his extensive work with tennis legend Rafael Nadal, serving as a coach for over fifteen years during Nadal's peak. However, his recent stints have been relatively brief, including time with Italy's Matteo Berrettini before joining Raducanu.
Roig now joins a long list of former Raducanu coaches, which includes Nick Cavaday, Nigel Seals, Andrew Richardson, Mark Petchey, Vlado Platenik, Seb Sachs, Dimitry Tursunov, and Torben Beltz. Cavaday, who mentored Raducanu as a junior, most recently coached her in 2025 before stepping down due to health reasons. Platenik's tenure lasted just two weeks last year as Raducanu sought to fill the void left by Cavaday.
Seals and Richardson were instrumental during her 2021 breakthroughs at Wimbledon and the US Open, respectively, highlighting the varied support she has received throughout her stop-start career.
Raducanu's Recent Form and Future Direction
Raducanu hinted at a potential coaching change immediately after her loss in Melbourne, expressing a desire to return to a more aggressive playing style. "I want to be playing a different way. I just want to hit the ball to the corners and hard," she said. "I feel like I'm doing all this variety, and it's not doing what I want it to do. I need to work on playing in a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger."
Despite the coaching instability, Raducanu's ranking has shown a steady recovery. She is set to remain world No. 29 after the Australian Open, a significant improvement from her low of No. 299 in 2023 amid injuries. However, she has not reached a final at any level since her miraculous 2021 US Open victory and has faced tough draws at grand slams, limiting deeper runs.
In 2025, Raducanu's grand slam performances included losses to top players: Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open (third round) and French Open (second round), world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon (third round), and Elena Rybakina at the US Open (third round). This month, she was defeated by world No. 55 Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open and also lost to Australia's world No. 204 Taylah Preston in a Hobart lead-up tournament.
As Raducanu prepares for her next event in Romania, the search for a new coach continues, with fans and analysts watching closely to see if she can find the stability needed to recapture her early career form.
