Emma Raducanu describes herself as a ‘loner’ and 19-year-old insists she is ‘finding out a lot about herself’ – as British No 1 explains coaching switch and admits she’s not ‘finished product’ ahead of Italian Open this week
- US Open champion Emma Raducanu split with coach Torben Beltz last month
- Yet the 19-year-old has shown signs of promise in her first pro stint on clay
- The British No 1 is the 10th seed at the Italian Open in Rome this week
- She says she finds it interesting to be on her own as she remains without a coach
British No 1 Emma Raducanu has described herself as a ‘loner’ as she talked about her current time on tour without a permanent coach.
The 19-year-old split with German coach Torben Beltz last month and is presently without a full-time coach as she manages her first stint on the WTA tour on clay.
She has had mixed results following her maiden Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open but has had an encouraging run in the clay-court season where she reached the Stuttgart quarter-finals and Madrid last-16.
Emma Raducanu has described herself as a ‘loner’ as she talked about working without a coach
The 19-year-old British No 1 split with German coach Torben Beltz (right) last month
And ahead of playing in the Italian Open as the 10th seed in Rome this week, she told reporters that she is liking the independence of coaching herself.
‘I’d describe myself as a loner. For the past year… I’ve had a lot of people around me a lot and very often,’ she said.
‘To be on my own is interesting because I’m kind of finding out a lot about myself, understanding what I need and what I don’t need.’
Raducanu worked with Nigel Sears, Andy Murray’s father-in-law, during Wimbledon last year and Andrew Richardson during her memorable run in New York last summer, but dispensed with the services of both before moving on to Beltz.
Meanwhile, Raducanu played her first professional match on clay in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers last month and said she has been learning about the surface as she plays.
Raducanu played her first pro match on clay in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers last month
‘Clay is very new to me,’ she added.
‘I definitely feel like I have been progressing with each week, improving, getting a better understanding of how to play points, when to stay in the point or when to stay aggressive.
‘I don’t think I’m like the finished product at all. But, yeah, I’m heading in a good direction.’