Since her breakthrough in 2021, Emma Raducanu’s coaching journey has been anything but conventional. Most recently, after arriving in Romania for her latest event, she mentioned that she felt comfortable without a full-time coach, opting instead to work closely with her hitting partner, Alexis Canter. Still, that didn’t stop new developments from emerging ahead of her next tournament.

With the “Sunshine Swing” (featuring the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open) just around the corner, the spotlight naturally turned to who would be guiding the 2021 US Open champion from the player’s box. And TNT Sports stirred conversation on X by posting a photo of Raducanu alongside her 55-year-old coach Mark Petchey, who also coached three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray for 10 months at the start of his career.

“Emma Raducanu will reunite with former coach Mark Petchey at Indian Wells on an ‘informal basis’ 🎾,” TNT Sports wrote on X this Thursday.

Interestingly, Mark Petchey first spent a short stretch working with Emma Raducanu back in the summer of 2020, helping fine-tune some of the technical details in her game. Then, in March of last year, he reunited with the 23-year-old at the Miami Open in Florida, stepping in on a locum basis.

He worked alongside her longtime friend, former player, and LTA coach Jane O’Donoghue, offering support during that stretch.

Even though Petchey helped guide Emma Raducanu through a promising four-month run, he simply couldn’t commit beyond that. His broadcasting responsibilities with the BBC and other networks made it difficult to stay on as a full-time coach.

In fact, Petchey holds a long-term broadcasting deal with the Tennis Channel, along with commitments to TNT Sports. The only two tournaments where he isn’t tied to studio duties are Wimbledon and the US Open, arguably the biggest events on the calendar. That reality alone makes it tough for him to be consistently available throughout the season.

Balancing both roles proved challenging. And that’s exactly why in 2026, he’s not expected to attend nearly as many matches, especially outside of Wimbledon and the US Open.

Last season, though, Petchey managed to work around his TV duties long enough to guide Raducanu through the clay-court swing and into Wimbledon before stepping back again. During that stretch (from Miami to Wimbledon), she put together a solid 15-8 record. For the remainder of the year, however, her results dipped, as she went 13-14.

This year, it appears Petchey, who reportedly arrived in Indian Wells on Wednesday night ahead of next week’s tournament, will step in when he can. But for day-to-day training, Alexis Canter is expected to remain Raducanu’s primary support.

Mark Petchey will stand in front of the storm for Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu may have worked with nine different coaches over the years, with each partnership ending for different reasons, but one thing hasn’t changed: Mark Petchey still holds her in high regard.

“Emma and I never fell out. It just got to the point where I felt I couldn’t be the No. 1 coach [because of media commitments],” Petchey said on the Big T podcast last month. “We still chat, we’re still in good communication, she’ll still run some stuff past me. I’ll help her forever. I’ll take a bullet for her.”

Last year, Raducanu brought in Francis Roig to replace Petchey, but that partnership didn’t last either. She later explained that while they got along well personally, they weren’t fully aligned when it came to certain important aspects of her game.

Interestingly, it was under Petchey’s guidance that Raducanu found some of her strongest form last season. She reached the quarterfinals at the Miami Open and also made the last eight at the Queen’s Club Championships. During that stretch, she looked confident and composed.

Her 2025 Miami run stood out in particular. On her way to the quarterfinals, she picked up impressive wins over Americans Emma Navarro and Amanda Anisimova, showing she could compete with (and beat) top-level opponents. While there were a couple of early exits later in the year, including Eastbourne and Madrid, it was still some of her best tennis since her breakthrough title at the US Open in 2021.

That’s why this reunion feels logical and crucial, given that this is a WTA 1000 event. Emma Raducanu clearly produced some of her strongest results with Petchey in her corner. Going back to a familiar voice and a trusted presence might be exactly what the 23-year-old needs at this stage.