Emma Raducanu: Marion Bartoli urges British star to take leaf out of Aryna Sabalenka’s teaching e-book

Former Wimbledon champion and Sky Sports activities analyst Marion Bartoli has urged Emma Raducanu to take a leaf out of Aryna Sabalenka’s teaching handbook by sticking with one coach for a protracted time frame.

Sabalenka has turn out to be the fifth lady in historical past to finish the ‘Sunshine Double’, beating Coco Gauff within the Miami Open closing, two weeks after claiming the Indian Wells crown.

She has benefited immensely from having a secure group behind her, successful a number of Grand Slam titles and reaching world No 1.

The 27-year-old has been working alongside coach Anton Dubrov, a fellow Belarusian who has tasted success together with her since 2020, health coach Jason Stacy, hitting accomplice Andrei Vasilevski, and fiance Georgios Frangulis.

The addition of Max Mirnyi, a former Grand Slam doubles and blended doubles champion, has imparted his knowledge by including some selection to her sport since final August, notably with the serve and volley.

Raducanu parted firm with Francisco Roig within the wake of her second-round defeat on the Australian Open.

She loved a powerful run of type whereas working with Andy Murray’s former coach Mark Petchey early in 2025 in a brief association, however employed Roig in August as she sought a brand new everlasting coach.

Following a six-month spell by which she endured disappointing outcomes, Roig, who previously coached Rafael Nadal, grew to become the ninth coach to depart since Raducanu’s 2021 US Open win, with the pair gelling properly on a private degree however not aligning on fashion of play.

Her subsequent event in Romania noticed her attain her first closing since her victory in New York in 2021, and for the reason that break up from Roig, Raducanu insisted she is pleased working with hitting accomplice Alexis Canter, a 27-year-old British former participant who reached a career-high rating of 779 final 12 months.

Raducanu retained Canter as a part of her set-up, in addition to working with Petchey at Indian Wells. She is subsequent resulting from seem on the Higher Austria Girls Linz, which takes place from April 6-12, dwell on Sky Sports activities Tennis.

Talking in Miami, Bartoli mentioned: “For Emma to keep changing coaches is a difficult topic because you need to have some sort of stability.

“Once you have a look at the teaching system, Sabalenka has had the identical coach for such a protracted time frame and I feel for Emma it is about looking for the appropriate match!”

Bartoli added: “I do strongly imagine she might want to discover somebody she will belief for a protracted time frame if she desires to enhance.”

Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, has referred to as on Raducanu to choose her subsequent coach fastidiously and most significantly – give them time.

“I mean, I don’t know what’s the record for a coach – maybe six months! So, I wish that she would really pick whoever she wants to be her coach carefully and then stick with it,” mentioned the previous world No 1.

“Give it a year because it takes a while to be comfortable with making changes and being able to incorporate the person into your game.

“The most important factor I see I feel she may get fitter which the coach has nothing to do with, however you already know, the coach can solely accomplish that a lot.

“Pick the right coach and stick with him or her, please!”

I do strongly imagine she might want to discover somebody she will belief for a protracted time frame if she desires to enhance.

Henman: Raducanu wants extra bodily resilience

Sky Sports activities analyst Henman thinks Raducanu ought to consider engaged on her physicality to match the likes of fellow Grand Slam champions Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff.

The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist mentioned: “It was highlighted in a match against (Amanda) Anisimova.

“She’s by no means going to be as massive a ball striker as Anisimova and the physicality that she brings to the courtroom is clearly intimidating, as these prime gamers are. However that is the place I feel Raducanu must be bodily stronger. She wants extra bodily resilience so she does not get the little accidents that put her away from the courtroom. They cease her constructing the momentum on the match courtroom.

“You can still do a lot of physical work on the court, whether it’s two on one when you’re hitting and moving and building up that physical resilience to get stronger, to get faster, to hit the ball harder, to serve bigger. If I could pinpoint one area, it would most definitely be fitness.”

‘The concentration is going to by no means dim’

Raducanu is sitting at world No 28, however Henman believes the British star has the flexibility to interrupt into the highest 10.

“I think we all appreciate and understand and see how good she could be,” Henman mentioned of Raducanu, who shocked the world by successful the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier.

“If she can continue to add these pieces to the puzzle there’s no reason why she can’t get in the top 20 and then knock on the door of the top 10.

“It does really feel nevertheless far we get away from the US Open win, that concentration is going to by no means dim.

“She’s a really good athlete, but when she stretched out, she cannot withstand the power that’s coming at her and give it back and that’s where the gym work comes in.”

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