Emma Raducanu can win more grand slam titles if she chases happiness rather than ranking points and stops worrying about her critics.
That is the view of her former coach Mark Petchey as the British number one prepares for her latest crack at Wimbledon.
A year ago, Petchey was in the middle of a successful short-term spell guiding the 23-year-old, but his broadcasting commitments meant it could not become permanent.
Raducanu is now back with Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped her to the US Open title in 2021 that launched her to superstardom but has made the intervening five years a wild and challenging ride.
“I love Emma to bits,” Petchey, who first coached Raducanu as a teenager, told the Press Association.
“I’ll take a bullet for her. I think her situation is so unique. I don’t envy her life, being judged every single week on a result that happened five years ago, that was an amazing story, was an absolute fairy tale.
“She’s a hell of a tennis player. But it’s challenging because, if you don’t win another one, it’s deemed a sub-optimal outcome.
“And I think, for her, it’s been a very hard process to grow up as an 18-year-old, in the glare of the spotlight, with everything that came – everyone would have done the same, but they say they wouldn’t have done the same. That’s the thing that I find really hard, the cognitive dissonance from people.
“She can win another one for sure, I’ve always believed that about her. If she can find a way to just do the ordinary in an extraordinary way, every single day, and not look for a shortcut back to where she was in ’21, she’ll be fine.”
Petchey helped Raducanu out again this spring but is not prepared to give up his other roles, which also include tennis ambassador for Neilson Active Holidays, to take on the post permanently.
Speaking from the latest addition to Neilson’s portfolio, Mangia’s Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily, Petchey says he is delighted to see Raducanu and Richardson reunited.
“There’s so many things I love about it. We obviously had a conversation because my situation was never really going to change and she needed to find somebody.
“And I think going back to what she remembers as an amazing time of her life is perfect, and I think it will be very positive for her. I think they will have a great relationship.
“I also think that it was necessary almost for both of them, to have this time again, because there’s so many people that said she should never have got rid of Andrew. Even if it doesn’t work, at least you can cross that off the list.”
Petchey has had as close a view as anyone of the goldfish bowl in which Raducanu operates and the scrutiny that accompanies her every move.
“I thought I knew quite a lot about what to expect,” he said. “There is a mystery about Emma that really fascinates people. And it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, these people are borderline obsessed about everything’.”
Raducanu has not made it beyond the fourth round of a grand slam since her New York triumph and this has again been a stop-start season after a post-viral illness ruled her out for two-and-a-half months, but a run to the final at Queen’s Club has tilted the balance back towards optimism.
“Everyone knows that things could have been handled differently – but not by her,” said Petchey.
“She was 18. That’s not on her, but there are a lot of adults in the room that clearly will need to look at themselves.
“The lucky thing for her is she won it so young, she had this period to figure stuff out, and she’s now just 23 and has still got a lot of runway ahead in tennis if she decides to use it. Especially on the grass, because there’s no question in my mind this is her best surface.
“I think she needs to live and have her career from here on in on her terms. You get a zero pointer? F*** it. Who cares? Don’t play the tournament. Just do what’s going to make you happy.
“Give yourself the chance at the four majors, because I’ll back you against anyone.
“Don’t worry so much about the ranking and worry more about being in the right position to have a run at a tournament every single time you tee it up, because you’re not like everyone and don’t feel like it’s a negative.
“You could have the longest career of all time if you decide to do that. If you keep doing it like everyone else is telling you to do it, and everyone else is doing it, you’re probably going to have a short career. People are going to criticise anyway, whichever way you do it.”
As for whether Petchey might have a role again in the future, the 55-year-old will leave the door open.
“If she needs me,” he added. “The best thing is probably when my phone doesn’t beep, because then I know she’s happy.”
