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Emma Raducanu’s axed coach lands new job with rival after ‘chilly’ alternate with Brit

Emma Raducanu’s ex-coach, Francisco Roig, is now working with one other WTA star.

Emma Raducanu and Francisco Roig ended their partnership in January (Picture: Getty)

Iga Swiatek has introduced that she has employed Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Francisco Roig. The world No. 3 parted methods with Belgian ‘tremendous coach’ Wim Fissette final week, the person who was in her nook as she lifted her maiden Wimbledon title final summer time. There has since been loads of hypothesis that Roig would be part of Swiatek’s camp, and had even been advisable by one other one in every of his former gamers, Rafael Nadal.

Swiatek not too long ago refused to discuss Nadal’s potential involvement, however the Polish star has now confirmed that Roig shall be her new coach. It comes simply weeks after Raducanu and Roig ended their working relationship, with the British No. 1 later admitting it was Roig who initiated the break up.

In an Instagram story shared on Thursday, Swiatek posed for a photograph alongside Roig and wrote: “Welcome to the group, Francisco! Very excited for this new chapter.”

Roig beforehand joined Raducanu’s group final summer time, when her ad-hoc partnership with Mark Petchey got here to an finish. With the Spanish coach in her nook, Raducanu pushed world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to a closing set tiebreak in a decent defeat on the Cincinnati Open.

That they had been set to embark on a pre-season coaching block in Barcelona, however their plans have been wrecked by a foot damage Raducanu picked up, which left her unable to play tennis for round two months. She solely began static hitting days earlier than the 2026 season obtained underway.

Raducanu and Roig introduced their break up shortly after the 23-year-old misplaced within the second spherical of the Australian Open, however maintained relationship. Addressing their resolution to half methods in Indian Wells final month, Raducanu informed Sky Sports activities: “After Australia, me and Francis have been speaking. We’ve got an awesome relationship, we may have a very open and trustworthy dialog.

Iga Swiatek has confirmed that Francisco Roig shall be her new coach (Picture: Instagram @iga.swiatek)

“He ended up saying, ‘Look, I do not suppose that is moving into the best way we each need it to’, so he ended it actually. In a approach I feel we had a number of moments the place we weren’t agreeing on a number of issues.”

Swiatek has arguably been the hardest opponent on tour for Raducanu. They’ve confronted one another 5 instances, and the Brit has by no means taken a set off of the six-time Grand Slam champion.

After their most up-to-date assembly on the 2025 French Open, the place Swiatek blitzed Raducanu 6-1 6-2, British tennis pundit Annabel Croft prompt they’d a “chilly” alternate on the internet.

“That was fairly a chilly handshake. There was no heat there between the 2 gamers. It was fairly dismissive, virtually only a handshake after which a stroll off,” she informed BBC Sport. “As soon as Iga Swiatek obtained a breakthrough on this match, she simply stamped her authority on it.”

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