Emma Raducanu has split with Sebastian Sachs leaving her seeking a sixth coach in two years.
The 20-year-old has undergone surgery recently and is currently in the midst of a rehab programme after addressing issues with her wrist and ankle. It means she will miss out on Wimbledon and the US Open, the tournament she won in 2021 which catapulted her into stardom.
Currently unable to play though, she admitted it was “unfeasible” to continue working with Sachs, who remains highly-rated having helped guide Belinda Bencic to Olympic gold in Tokyo. Raducanu will now seek another new coach as she attempts to rise back to the top of the women's game.
She said on social media: “I have really enjoyed Seb’s coaching and working with him, it’s unfortunate that circumstances made it unfeasible for both of us to continue right now and we have decided to part ways. I wish Seb all the best moving forwards.”
Raducanu first caught the eye when, as a teenage wildcard, she made the fourth round at Wimbledon, which she achieved whilst working with Andy Murray ’s father-in-law Nigel Sears. Andrew Richardson then helped the Brit secure a memorable triumph in New York.
She became the first British woman since Virginia Wade to claim a Grand Slam following her Wimbledon victory in 1977. Raducanu also won at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set but soon parted with Richardson, citing the need for a more experienced coach.
She said: "I feel like at this stage in my career, and playing the top players in the world, I realised I really need someone right now that has had that WTA Tour experience at the high levels, which means that I'm looking for someone who has been at that level and knows what it takes."
German coach Torben Beltz was recruited until April last year before Raducanu’s team then appointed Russian Dmitry Tursunov on a trial basis but they failed to agree on a permanent deal and they split in October last year.
He said after they parted ways: “In my opinion, she’s a minimum a one-year project but I would say that she’s probably a two-and-a-half-year project to be on the safe side. Of course, it’s hard to say that and it’s hard for people to understand how it is possible because she already won the US Open. But, in my opinion, her game is very raw, and I think in many ways it could use a lot of improvement.”
