Emma Raducanu has made it clear that she’s not looking for a coach right now. Not only that, she’s happy to spend periods of her career without a full-time coach, instead tapping into some mentors and trusted faces.
That’s something she’s been doing since she split from Francisco Roig in January. The British number one has travelled with hitting partner Alexis Canter, also seeking out Mark Petchey’s guidance in Indian Wells earlier this month.
But the tennis coaching carousel is a funny one. It’s rare that top coaches are available in the middle of the year – most of the chopping and changing, naturally, happens during the short off-season around November or December. So, when one of them is suddenly free, you’ve got to jump at the opportunity.
And that’s exactly what Raducanu must do here. Wim Fissette, seen as a “super coach”, is available. The Belgian has just ended his working partnership with world number three Iga Swiatek. And he is exactly the type of coach Raducanu needs.
The 46-year-old has an incredible wealth of experience on the WTA Tour. He’s worked with Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, Qinwen Zheng, and Kim Clijsters, just to name a few. Yes, there’s really more than that.
He’s seen as a super coach because he’s been part of seven Grand Slam victories, including Swiatek’s Wimbledon win last summer. He’s also worked with former British number one Johanna Konta, so he knows how the set-up works for the Brits, who often train at the National Tennis Centre.