Emma Raducanu hires Francis Roig, longtime Rafael Nadal coach, through 2025
Emma Raducanu has hired Francis Roig, a longtime member of Rafael Nadal’s coaching team, until the end of 2025.
Roig, who worked with Nadal between 2005 and 2022, will join Raducanu for the start of the Cincinnati Open, which begins Aug. 7.
Discussions with Roig began during Wimbledon, with a trial following Raducanu’s third-round exit to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Raducanu, the world No. 33, has been without a permanent coach since Nick Cavaday stepped down in January.
She has worked with Mark Petchey, the commentator and former coach of Andy Murray, on an informal basis, but has been seeking a formal coach with Petchey’s broadcast commitments prohibitive to a full-time partnership.
Raducanu has enjoyed an upswing in form during their work together, reaching the quarterfinals of Queen’s, the Wimbledon warmup in London, and the semifinals of the Citi Open in Washington D.C.
Roig worked alongside Nadal’s principal coaches — the player’s uncle, Toni, Marc Lopez and Carlos Moya — for all 22 of his Grand Slam titles. He left the team in 2022, going on to coach Italy’s Matteo Berrettini between 2023 and 2024.
Raducanu and Roig are expected to practice together Aug. 5 ahead of the WTA 1,000 event, one rung below a Grand Slam.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, Women's Tennis
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