Exclusive: Top British coach certain Emma Raducanu will get her form back
Experienced at the very top level of coaching, David Felgate believes that Emma Raducanu will progress back up the rankings, despite a tricky 2022 season.
Emma Raducanu soared to the top of the tennis in 2021, after triumphing from qualifying at the US Open, and she has been in the spotlight ever since. The Brit struggled to recreate this form in 2022, with injuries and a 17-19 win-loss record meaning that she dropped outside the top 70.
Felgate was not too surprised by this, “The hardest time for any player on tour is the second year, you could almost argue the first year was only half a year, but she did win the US Open so suddenly you become a target and so many more factors go on when you go to a tournament. It is very hard, you are there to be shot at, everything is different.”
Check out David’s full and exclusive Tennishead interview with his comments on Emma Raducanu starting at 03:27
He adds, “Maybe it is a little bit surprising that she hasn’t won a few more, but I don’t think it is a surprise that she hasn’t continued in the same way after the US Open. She has got plenty of time in front of her and plenty of time to work her way back up, and I am sure she will do that.”
The British No.1 has faced criticism for her not sticking to one coach, but Felgate believes that this is the formula that works best for her.
“Four (coaches) is quite a lot, but some players go through coaches sooner and I think what you have to understand and give big credit for is that her and her parents had a formula that got her there in the first place and she did move around coaches then, so who am I to say when it has clearly served her very well. The beauty of our sport is that there is not one way to play it or go about it, so they have chosen their direction.”
If Raducanu is to make her way back to form then she has started 2023 in the right way, battling back to beat the talented 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, in Auckland.
Felgate is a former professional tennis player, with a top ranking of 301, and has a career highlight of playing against Ivan Lendl on Court One at Wimbledon. Following retirement, Felgate moved onto coaching and has had long stints with the likes of Tim Henman and Donna Vekic. He now heads up the JTC Tennis Academy with ASICS as their clothing and shoe sponsor.
Felgate also stated in his interview that the technology in rackets and shoes can really help your game and especailly wearing the right tennis shoes which can help prevent injury as well as improve your performance. To read reviews of all the latest tennis shoes including ASICS range of 3 different trainers specifically designed for different playing styles, head over to our dedicated Tennis Shoe review section
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