Tennis
Emma Raducanu to Trial New Coach For the First Time Since January at Indian Wells
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The search for Emma Raducanu’s new coach could well be over as she heads to Indian Wells with Slovakian Vladimir Platenik under trial.
Emma Raducanu New Coach to be Trialled at Indian Wells
The lead-in to Indian Wells has been far from ideal for Emma Raducanu.
Not only are her performances on the court continuing to falter, but her well-documented ordeal with an alleged stalker at the Dubai Open in February left her visibly distraught.
What impact that will have had on her preparations is unclear, but the 2021 US Open champion had made no secret of the fear she felt on court in Dubai, saying she could barely “see the ball through the tears”.
Tennis is as psychological as it is gruellingly physical, so enlisting the help of backroom staff who can lift her spirits ahead of Indian Wells will be crucial.
“It could’ve been dealt with better”
Emma Raducanu opens up about her recent stalking ordeal at the Dubai Championships.pic.twitter.com/1tlCW2dyLf
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) March 5, 2025
Radacanu – who only makes it to California by virtue of a main draw wildcard – has not had a coach in the stands since Nick Cavaday stepped down due to health reasons following the Australian Open.
After being put to the sword by Iga Swiatek in Melbourne, the WTA number 55 has failed to get further than the round of 32 at her subsequent four Tour appearances.
In what appears to be a pivotal juncture in her career, Radacanu has now enlisted the help of Vladimir Platenik, who will be on trail throughout her run at Indian Wells.
Platenik has plenty of experience at an elite level, and may be more familiar with Raducanu’s game than most after coaching Lulu Sun to the last eight at Wimbledon in 2024, where she toppled Raducanu in the fourth round.
Veronika Kudermetov, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova have also all been coached by the Slovakian.
Platenik becomes the eighth person to coach Raducanu since she won the US Open as an 18-year-old in 2021.
Raducanu gets her Indian Wells campaign underway on Thursday with a first-round match against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. The winner will face third seed Coco Gauff.