After parting with coach Nick Cavaday post-Australian Open, Emma Raducanu’s team has added another member ahead of a trip to Indian Wells.
Emma Raducanu will be joined by new interim coach Tom Welsh as she heads to the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Welsh previously worked with Raducanu’s US Open final opponent, Leylah Fernandez.
The 22-year-old will head stateside on the back of her concerning interaction with a fan who displayed “fixated behaviour” in Dubai and was subsequently removed from the venue, with Raducanu reduced to tears. An additional security detail has been offered to the Brit, who saw her last coach, Nick Cavaday, step down after the Australian Open due to health concerns.
While she has been working with Jane O’Donoghue, Roman Kelecic, and strength and conditioning specialist Yutaka Nakamura, Welsh will now enter the fray, having previously aided Fernandez – who wishes to chew the fat with Raducanu over their unforgettable Flushing Meadows showpiece.
Raducanu is still seeking a new permanent coach while Welsh helps out in the meantime. The Englishman has worked as an Academy Coach at Loughborough University, which he joined in 2022, having helped US Open finalist Fernandez in the past.
The Canadian admitted in 2022 when speaking on her relationship with conqueror Raducanu: “When we see each other crossing the halls, practice courts, we always smile at each other because we know what we did was incredible. We just want the best for each other.”
However, she has now expressed a desire to sit down with the Brit to reflect on their momentous 2021 final, though admits it may have to come at the end of this WTA season.
“It would be interesting,” said Fernandez when asked if she’d like to talk to Raducanu. “But now, because it’s in-season and we want to do well in our own careers, we try to put it behind us. We don’t want to focus on it too much.
Maybe at the end of the season, when we cross paths, maybe we could have a conversation about it. For now, you can’t be thinking about the past. You have to be thinking about what you’re doing right now.”
Despite the addition of Welsh, former British No.1 Laura Robson feels Raducanu won’t take the plunge with a new permanent coach in the immediate future, instead biding her time while options are limited.
“I don’t think she’s in any rush, really, to employ someone new, just for the sake of it,” Robson told Sky Sports. “It has to make sense for her, and it has to be the right person.
“There’s not too many amazing coaches around who can travel full-time. So [her] options are pretty limited. You wouldn’t want to enter a new partnership without 100 per cent confidence.”