The new Emma Raducanu warms up engines: "I want to be the one who dictates what happens on the court"

Carlos Navarro | 3 Dec 2025 | 12.12

Will we see a new Emma Raducanu in 2026? Source: Getty

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Talking about Emma Raducanu always generates a multitude of comments. It is the weight that comes with making history at the 2021 US Open, which now feels very distant: the expectations of making history and becoming the new great product of British tennis have been left behind, and ahead lies a gradual process in which not rushing through stages quickly is the first challenge. Emma showed good progress throughout 2025, culminating the year with tournaments where she strung together victories, became competitive again against the best, and above all, left behind the specter of physical issues.

Not only that: she found stability in her team under Francis Roig, confirmed as her head coach for the upcoming months. It was a crucial aspect: Raducanu's coaching staff had been a veritable revolving door of names, a churn of coaches who contributed little to the British player's stability. The new Emma Raducanu is already here, and Roig's influence, whose successful coaching journey alongside Rafa Nadal backs him, is becoming increasingly evident. This was acknowledged in statements to the British media, praising the Spanish coach's work and revealing what she wants to change in her game for 2026.

"Francis wants me to focus much more on building a better Emma Raducanu, on improving the foundations, the baseline level. It's something I haven't necessarily focused on before. I've always been very tactical, skillful, looking to exploit the opponent's weaknesses, if any; and it works. However, the ideal is not necessarily having to think about the other players: you can step onto the court, execute your game, and be confident that you can win," confidently stated Raducanu, setting her main goal: she will strive to dominate matches, with a more complete and aggressive version that also allows her to conserve energy better.

"Francis is trying to build a player with higher quality. It doesn't mean he's making adjustments to the physical part: he aims for a better technique, better timing, and more efficient movement. I believe being able to dictate the game much more is one of my major goals, which would allow me to not have to run as much," Raducanu explained. This makes perfect sense: in the past, Raducanu has been overwhelmed by big hitters who ultimately outpowered her from the baseline; now, she aims to, with more effective shots, overpower them.

Raducanu confirms a new addition to her team and reflects on the toughness of the schedule

Emma not only discussed her work with Roig and laid the groundwork for her new version in 2026; she also confirmed a new addition to her team. This is Emma Stewart, a physiotherapist who has previously worked, albeit occasionally, with the British player, and whose work with the British rowing team is crucial to addressing the recurrent back issues of Raducanu (the back is one of the most trained body parts in rowing, and Raducanu herself mentioned making certain adjustments in her initial days of work).

Lastly, the British player also shared her thoughts on the discussion about the demands and duration of the current schedule, showing a slight change of perspective that might indicate a level of maturity. "Yes, there are moments when the whole body hurts, moments when everything becomes very physically and mentally challenging. But, on the other hand... what can we do about it? I'm sure there are people who go to work and are forced to do what their bosses say: it's their job. If young people aspiring to a tennis career and wanting to enjoy this sport see all the top players complaining about the schedule, I don't think they see it as inspiring. Not complaining as much, I believe, would set a better example for those who watch us," Emma concluded, ready to kick off her season very soon at the United Cup, where she will lead the British team.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La nueva Emma Raducanu calienta motores: "Quiero ser yo quien dicte lo que pasa en la pista"