Tim Henman has issued some advice for Emma Raducanu on the eve of her return to action at Indian Wells.
The British number one has once again been a top talking point within tennis, having parted ways with another coach.
Raducanu will join up with Mark Petchey again for this tournament, but there remain no long-term coaching plan just yet.
In an interview with The Times, Tim Henman has now argued why she might not actually need one, whilst also explaining what she must do to keep rising up the rankings.
Tim Henman has crucial advice for Emma Raducanu
He began by outlining her biggest weakness, in his eyes.
The British pundit claimed: “It’s still too stop-start. She has to become physically more resilient to be stronger and faster to then compete with the biggest hitters and the best players.
Who should be Emma Raducanu’s next coach?
“I understand the way she wants to play. She’s an attacking baseline player. If I could add one element to her game, it would only be on the physical side – to get stronger, faster, to hit the ball harder.
“You look at the physicality of a (Aryna) Sabalenka, a (Iga) Swiatek, a Coco Gauff, a (Elena) Rybakina, Emma’s not at that level. And to a certain extent, with her physique, she might not ever be at that level, but she’s got to close the gap.
“She’s (24) in the world, but I think there’s a lot of us that believe she can be a lot better.”
Why Emma Raducanu might not need a coach
Then asked about Emma Raducanu’s coaching situation, Henman actually offered a sympathetic view where others have opted to criticise.
He stated: “I worked with three coaches in 15 years, I liked consistency and continuity, but that’s not what Emma does.
“When will we not be surprised when she makes coaching changes? Petch is someone who’s worked with her a few times before and she feels comfortable with Petch but obviously Petch has his broadcasting commitments so that’s not going to be a full-time position, that’s not going to last long.
“I wonder whether in some respects she’s better off without a coach and accepts the responsibility and just plays. I don’t know what she’ll do next and she probably doesn’t either.”
Raducanu has explained why she is hesitant to hire a new coach, perhaps lending to Henman’s theory.
Every coach Emma Raducanu has worked with throughout her career
One of Raducanu’s first coaches was Nigel Sears, who helped engineer her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2021, where she reached the fourth round.
However, he was swiftly moved on, as she opted for a fresh outlook ahead of the North American swing of the tour.
At which Grand Slam is Emma Raducanu most likely to win a second major title? Let us know why below 👇
Andrew Richardson provided just that and was famously the coach who helped her win that iconic 2021 US Open title. His trial contract was not extended though, and Raducanu then pivoted to experienced German coach Torben Beltz.
His stint lasted just five months before Dmitry Tursunov then turned her down after a short spell together.
Sebastian Sachs joined during a turbulent period in Raducanu’s career, as her physicality began to break down.
As such, she opted for childhood coach Nick Cavaday to help with her comeback, before he had to step down due to personal reasons.
Vlado Platenik enjoyed a short trial period in 2025, before Petchey took over briefly to help stabilise her camp.
Francisco Roig was Raducanu’s latest coach, but the two parted ways after an underwhelming Australian Open campaign.
