Emma Raducanu has made a pretty drab start to 2025 as she looks to truly prove her fitness.
The Great Britain star managed to come through two matches at the Australian Open before being thrashed by world number two Iga Swiatek, winning just a single game in the process.
Raducanu then made unwanted career history in Qatar this week, losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets to put a bit of a dampener on the start of 2025.
Raducanu was handed a wildcard for the Qatar event. With that in mind, it’s clear that her stock is still high for now but results are something which she’s desperately craving.
The 22-year-old was working with Nick Cavaday at the Australian Open but he recently stepped back from his duties, with strength and conditioning expert Yutaka Nakamura also in her corner.
Given the ambitions that Raducanu has, it’s imperative she has the right people in her corner and a phone call to one reputable coach might just see her rediscover her best form.
Emma Raducanu should issue SOS to Goran Ivanisevic
It was announced late last year that Ivanisevic would work with Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open. The relationship didn’t really blossom, however, and after a fourth-round exit to eventual winner Madison Keys, the pair stopped working together.
That might mean that Ivanisevic is on the lookout for another project. A chance to coach Raducanu could be something that he’s interested in with the Great British player looking to get back to the form that saw her win the US Open in 2021.
Ivanisevic has a brilliant track record as a coach. He spent five years working with Novak Djokovic, helping the Serbian legend win 10 Grand Slam titles during that period, whilst he’s also worked with Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic.
It’s going to take a certain type of coach now to get Raducanu back to her best. Ivanisevic wears his heart on his sleeve and if he’s got any interest whatsoever in getting back onto the coaching circuit, Raducanu has to make the call.
Raducanu has time on her side and Ivanisevic can help
You don’t oversee 30 tournament wins without doing something right as a coach. As a result, having that winning mentality might be just what Raducanu needs from her corner at this moment in time.
At this stage, there is no suggestion that the pair are going to work together but it’s definitely an avenue for Raducanu to explore as she bids to become one of the best in the world once again.
The 22-year-old does have bags of time to get back to her best. Injuries haven’t helped her cause and the first priority is to keep playing and enjoy being on a tennis court again.
Raducanu is far too good to be at 56 in the world, however, and it’s about time she started to climb towards the higher echelons of the WTA Rankings again.
With Ivanisevic’s help that dream could once again become a reality.
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