The way in which Emma Raducanu shot to fame in 2021 was unprecedented, and naturally, she struggled to deal with the new burden of expectation.
It was always going to be an impossible task to replicate her US Open triumph, and yet many onlookers lambasted her for failing to do so.
Since then, the 22-year-old has been scrutinised at every turn, where pundits and fans alike have leapt at the chance to question her decisions and lack of form.
However, one of the biggest critiques aimed at her is actually something that Coco Gauff has been lauded for, suggesting that the Brit could soon follow in the two-time Grand Slam champion’s footsteps.
Emma Raducanu has been accused of changing coaches too often
Whilst her form and fitness have routinely deserted her over the last few years, it is the uncertainty around Emma Raducanu’s coaching situation that has arguably sparked the most debate.
After all, many have argued that such instability has been a driving factor in her inability to replicate her 2021 fairytale, rather than the fact that she is simply not at a Grand Slam-winning level.
Since she turned professional, Raducanu has been coached by Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, and Nick Cavaday, before settling on Mark Petchey earlier this year.
As he finally helped drive some consistency into her game, his broadcasting commitments sadly meant he had to end this relationship after Wimbledon.
However, he had done his job. Together, they had driven her back up the rankings and proven to the world that she is a promising talent worth taking a punt on.
How likely is it that Emma Raducanu wins another Grand Slam, and why?
That is likely what led Raducanu to convince Francisco Roig to start coaching her, in a union that seems set to last for the foreseeable future.
And whilst there finally seems to be consistency within her camp, it’s ironic that the very thing that the British number one has been slammed for in the past is what Gauff has now been commended for.
Coco Gauff’s reaction to changing coaches
It was the WTA’s official website that led this celebration, writing after Gauff had won another title in Wuhan just last month.
They wrote: “The win underlined what has become an interesting — and hugely successful — pattern. For the third straight year, Gauff is benefiting from a coaching change late in the season.”
Then outlining her coaching timeline, moving from Brad Gilbert to Matt Daly, and more recently to Gavin MacMillan.
Each time she has hired a new coach, the 21-year-old has won an elite honour not long after.
Now, whilst the gulf in quality between Gauff and Raducanu is daunting right now, the fact that the former claims to have gained so much from so many influences bodes well for Raducanu.
What does Emma Raducanu need to improve in 2026?
The American admitted: “I feel like I’m constantly trying to evolve and get better. It’s not anything against the coaches I worked with — I can still be at the top and want to get better.
“Sometimes, a new perspective helps. It’s not always about what they say — maybe they’re saying similar things — but maybe the approach is a little bit different and I’m able to receive it better.”
Raducanu can take plenty of spirit from these claims, and perhaps in 2026 might be able to follow in Gauff’s footsteps to finally put the scrutiny around her coaching situation to bed once and for all.
