Emma Raducanu’s revolving door of coaches has become as much a part of her story as her stunning 2021 US Open triumph. Since that breakthrough, the Briton has cycled through nearly nine coaches in as many years, none lasting beyond a single season. The constant turnover, seen by many as a root cause of her uneven form, has again drawn attention. This time, from a former WTA great offering her own seasoned perspective on Raducanu’s search for stability.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova has issued a goodwill message to the British No. 1 . Speaking to Sky Sports at the Miami Open, Navratilova addressed the core issue.

“I mean, I don’t know what’s the record for a coach- maybe six months! So, I wish that she would really pick whoever she wants to be her coach carefully and then stick with it,” Navratilova said.

Raducanu has a 7-7 win-loss record this year. She participated in the Indian Wells and was eliminated in the R32 against sixth seed Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. She was listed in the draw at the Miami Open and withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to a persistent lower back injury and ongoing illness. 

The six-month reference was for the most recent full-time coaching appointment, Francisco Roig, the man who spent nearly two decades in Rafael Nadal’s team. Their partnership was terminated after her second-round exit at the 2026 Australian Open. He has joined the world No. 3 Iga Swiatek for the clay swing now. This was Raducanu’s eighth full-time coaching change, and she has had nine coaching changes in her professional career. 

The most amount of time she has spent with any coach is one year, and that was with Nick Cavaday from January 2024 to January 2025. That partnership did not go forward as the coach stepped away to spend more time with family. 

There’s a very long list of coaches who have worked with Raducanu, namely, Andrew Richardson, who guided her to the famous 2021 US Open title. This was then followed by Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, Nick Cavaday, Mark Petchey, temporarily, and then Roig. Currently, she is working with her hitting partner, Alexis Canter, and physiotherapist Emma Stewart. The Brit has clarified the reason why she is continuing her season without a coach for now, till she finds a perfect fit.

Navratilova’s message was simple, urgent, and backed by the kind of experience that only comes from a career spanning decades at the top of the sport.

“Give it a year because it takes a while to be comfortable with making changes and being able to incorporate the person into your game. The biggest thing I see, I think she could get fitter, which the coach has nothing to do with, but you know, the coach can only do so much. Pick the right coach and stick with him or her, please!” Navratilova added.

When it comes to Raducanu, talent has never been a question, but conversations loom around her fitness. Navratilova pinpointed that fitness concerns and injury prevention are something she can work on by herself, and the coach has nothing to do with it. But her wider points state that the coaching instability has made it almost impossible for the former world No. 10 to reach the ceiling. 

At 23, she is ranked 28th in the world, with a US Open title on her CV. Raducanu still has time to get her things back on track. The 69-year-old’s plea was not a criticism but simply advice for someone she has watched over the years and never saw playing to her true potential.

The 2021 US Open champion feels that, to return to her previous level, she needs to dictate terms by herself.

Emma Raducanu had pushed back on the one-coach approach

While Martina Navratilova was urging Emma Raducanu to stick to one coach and give some time for the partnership to flourish, the Brit had some other ideas. Speaking to BBC Sport earlier this month, she stated:

“I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised- even if it’s a trial. I might feel the pressure to stick with them, even if it’s not necessarily the right decision,” Raducanu had stated earlier this month. 

“I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit. I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit,” she said.

Emma Raducanu has demonstrated steady improvement over the last two years, rising from a year-end WTA ranking of No. 58 in 2024 to No. 29 in 2025, and at No. 23 in 2026. In 2025, she compiled a solid 28-22 win-loss record, reaching semifinals in Washington D.C., quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 Miami Open, and third rounds at multiple Grand Slams, bolstered by Top 10 victories and renewed physical consistency under coach Francisco Roig.

Her early 2026 form, a 7-6 record capped by a runner-up finish at Cluj-Napoca, reinforces this upward trajectory, as she works to reclaim her natural, aggressive baseline game after feeling it had been “coached out” by past influences.

“I would love to have a coach that works well, but I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be easy to find one person and they are going to check every box. I definitely have my mind open to it. It’s just that I would rather someone not come in and tell me, ‘Let’s do this’, and I disagree with it but have to listen to them. So far Alexis has been really good, but I am definitely going to tap into a few people here and there,” Raducanu added.

Raducanu is at a crossroads in her career, where she needs to decide how she wants to take her path forward. The next coaching decision may be the most crucial for her career. For now, she has withdrawn from the upcoming Linz Open in Austria due to illness. But her confidence remains unshaken. Will she come back healthy and with a fire to take it all?