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Raducanu's agent defends star's scattergun coaching changes

Raducanu has split with five coaches in the past two years
Raducanu has split with five coaches in the past two yearsProfimedia
Emma Raducanu's agent says people need to "get over" the tennis star's high turnover of coaching changes and admits that trend will likely continue for the rest of her career.

Raducanu, 20, who won the US Open as an 18-year-old in 2021, recently split with Sebastian Sachs, who was her fifth coach in the past two years.

The Briton started her career with Nigel Sears, who parted ways after her breakthrough to the Wimbledon fourth round in 2021 before Andrew Richardson helped her claim Flushing Meadows glory.

Raducanu split with Richardson shortly after the US Open and has since worked with Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and most recently Sachs.

Observers have criticised the current world number 131 for the volatile nature in which she changes coaches, but her agent Max Eisenbud claims the approach has worked for her in the past.

"The coaching situation, right or wrong, and this is something that her dad and Emma pretty much control on all the coaching stuff, that has been their philosophy all the way up through the juniors," Eisenbud, senior vice president of IMG told The Tennis Podcast.

"They never had coaches for a long time. You've probably heard of that. For them, that is calm waters, having a coach for five months and going on to someone else.

"That is not traditional and not the norm for most to win a Grand Slam and change your coach."

Eisenbud also explained that the approach is not a new concept in women's tennis and referenced the fact Raducanu's split from coach Sears was a benefit to her ahead of her US Open victory.  

"I think you see players changing coaches all the time, particularly on the women's tour. I think people have a hard time understanding how you can get to the fourth round of Wimbledon and then how you don't keep working with Nigel Sears, who is a great coach and a great guy.

"All the people when she stopped working with Nigel were killing her… then she won the US Open.

"You were killing her for not staying with Nigel then she won the US Open. Then she changes coaches again.

"Andrew Richardson was a great guy and a great coach and definitely part of that success, but so was Tim Henman, who was really helping her a lot.

"Quite frankly, her dad was the one putting in a lot of the game plans for the matches. Perspective, it doesn't look great for people who want it to be wrapped up in a perfect bow. I understand that and I see that, but for the family that's the way they have done it.

"People need to get over the fact that that's what they need to do. It's probably going to be like that for the rest of her career."

Raducanu has struggled fitness-wise this season and has been out of action since May after having surgery on both of her wrists and an ankle.

Her last competitive match came in April at the Stuttgart Open, falling in the first round of the indoor clay event.

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