Frances Tiafoe tells Emma Raducanu what type of coach she needs to hire as she returns to Mark Petchey

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Emma Raducanu turned to her former coach, Mark Petchey, at Indian Wells.

After her split from Francisco Roig, Raducanu teamed up with LTA coach Alexis Canter, before adding Petchey to her team on a short-term basis.

Earlier this week, Raducanu suggested she wasn’t desperate to find a permanent replacement for Roig.

Emma Raducanu should make Andy Murray her next coach

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During his latest press conference in Indian Wells, Frances Tiafoe was asked about Raducanu’s comments and shared what she should look for in a coach.

Frances Tiafoe says Emma Raducanu needs a coach who is really going to be there for her

Tiafoe reflected on periods of his career when he went without a coach.

“I mean, I have done it a few times just with friends,” he said.

“I mean, I got a little bit of a drill sergeant right now in Mark [Kovacs]. I’m going to say you go through different stages.

“There was a time when I was her age, when I didn’t want it.

“But sometimes you have to look in the mirror and be, like, what do you actually really need, how much you actually want?

“Not to say any way for her, but I’m just saying, for me, this is how I feel right now.”

Tiafoe thinks Raducanu has the potential to be a ‘top’ player in women’s tennis, and revealed what kind of coach he believes she should hire to help her get there.

“Look, she’s so good, and she’s so talented, obviously she’s a worker, she’s a Grand Slam champion,” he said.

“I just think she just needs to find someone who is going to really be there for her and be there with her ups and downs and her trying to get back to the top of the game where she deserves to be.

“Also, to tell her the truth, but also not make every loss or moment be the end-all, be-all, because every week is so different.

“You don’t need to change your game, don’t need to change her approach.

“Just do the work every day and try to get over the line.

“She’s so good, I think she can do anything.”

Raducanu won the US Open in 2021 as a qualifier, but hasn’t won a WTA title since.

The 23-year-old has often been criticised for her inability to stick with a coach.

Such a high coaching turnover has prevented Raducanu from maintaining any real consistency on tour.

With all that being said, she is still ranked inside the top-32, keeping a seed next to her name for the big WTA 1000 and Grand Slam tournaments.

Snapshot of the Live WTA Rankings

Working with Petchey at Indian Wells, Raducanu eased past Anastasia Zakharova in her opening match, 6-1, 6-3.

She’ll now play two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova in the third round.

Frances Tiafoe advances at Indian Wells

It wasn’t just Raducanu who won in straight sets yesterday, as Tiafoe also picked up a dominant win.

The American defeated his countryman Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 6-2, to set up a third-round clash with Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.

After a tricky 2025 campaign, Tiafoe seems to have found some form this year and could be one to watch in California.

Frances Tiafoe in 2026

The 28-year-old came close to winning the Mexican Open last time out, losing to Cobolli in the final.

He’ll be desperate for a slice of revenge when they meet again at Indian Wells.

Should Tiafoe defeat Cobolli, he would meet either Brandon Nakashima or Alexander Zverev in the last 16.

He won’t want to get ahead of himself, though, and will first focus on the task at hand.

Tiafoe will play Cobolli in the third round on Sunday, March 8.