Emma Raducanu has won her first match at the US Open since her triumph in 2021, helping her reach the second round.
Raducanu beat Ena Shibahara after one hour and two minutes in the first round of this year’s US Open, winning 6-1, 6-2.
She clinched her only Grand Slam title at the hard-court tournament four years ago, defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final.
It represents her only success on the WTA Tour, where Raducanu is currently ranked 36th and once reached number 10.
Raducanu has been training hard with Francisco Roig in the build-up to the US Open, having previously worked with Mark Petchey.
Martina Navratilova predicts what Emma Raducanu will do with Francisco Roig
Roig worked with Rafael Nadal for the majority of his stunning career, helping him secure 22 Grand Slam titles.
Sharing her verdict on his new partnership with Raducanu, tennis icon Martina Navratilova said on Sky Sports Tennis: “She has a new coach again but I think this one is going to stay around for a while.
“I think they are committed to this with Francisco Roig, who worked with Rafael Nadal for many, many years.
“He definitely has the experience on his side. I mean, he ticks all the boxes so now it’s up to Emma to really buy into it and stick with it and make the changes.
“And she looks healthy, she looks fitter and so relaxed. It’s nice to see that she looks like she believes she can win again.”
Tim Henman notices Emma Raducanu change as US Open gets underway
Raducanu does indeed look comfortable under Roig, who clearly boasts fantastic experience thanks to his time spent with Nadal.
She impressed with the Spaniard by her side at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, beating Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match.
Her ultimately short run was ended by world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who she pushed all the way before losing 6-7(3-7), 6-4, 6-7(5-7).
Adding his verdict on the current coaching situation to Navratilova’s, Tim Henman noted: “I think that’s a really important aspect because we focused on how she did not have the physical endurance.
“She did not have those continuous weeks on the Tour, she did not play particularly well but she was out there competing.
“Now this is her 18th tournament of the year, she has built up that endurance and she is getting better and better all the time.”
The latest change to her coaching team comes after a turbulent time in that regard, with Petchey among a long list of coaches she has worked with in recent seasons.
Also on the list are Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, Vladimir Platenik and Nick Cavaday.
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