Mark Petchey will rejoin Emma Raducanu’s team at Indian Wells.
The Brits worked together for several months last year, enjoying success at the Miami Open.
There, Raducanu reached her first career WTA 1000 quarterfinal after beating Amanda Anisimova.
Will Emma Raducanu ever win another Grand Slam title?
Raducanu and Petchey clearly trust each other, but there’s a reason why they parted ways…
Hearing the details of their ‘reunion’, there’s cause for concern if you’re a Raducanu fan.
Emma Raducanu has found another short-term solution
Petchey left Raducanu’s team last year, unable to commit to coaching the 2021 US Open champion full-time.
The details of their new relationship suggest Petchey’s stance hasn’t changed.
As reported by ‘The Telegraph‘, Petchey will work with Raducanu on a short-term, ad-hoc basis at Indian Wells.
Furthermore, he is expected to be less available to the British number one than he was last year.
If that doesn’t worry Raducanu fans, it should!
Once again, the 23-year-old has opted for a short-term fix.
The latest ‘interim’ appointment was Alexis Canter, who replaced Francisco Roig when Raducanu parted ways with the Spaniard after just six months.
Raducanu’s coaching ‘merry-go-round’ is seemingly never-ending…
Players who have enjoyed success on tour without a committed long-term coach are few and far between.
Take the world number ones on both tours, for example.
Aryna Sabalenka has worked with her coach, Anton Dubrov, for six years, while Carlos Alcaraz’s head coach, Samuel Lopez, has been part of the team since 2024.
You cannot win the biggest titles on tour if you’re chopping and changing coaches every couple of months.
Yes, Petchey is a familiar face, and there’s no doubt that he has a brilliant tennis mind, but Raducanu already knows that he isn’t the answer, long term.
So why go back?
All Raducanu has done with this appointment is put off hiring someone who could actually help her for years to come.
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Eventually, Raducanu will have to find someone and stick with them.
No more hiring and firing, just a long-term plan, and one she is committed to.
The sounds coming out of the Raducanu camp were that she disagreed with certain technical decisions Roig was making.
That’s another issue!
Raducanu needs to learn to trust a coach; after all, Roig has been around a lot longer than she has.
Regardless, Raducanu has made her decision for now, and despite all the long-term issues with the Petchey appointment, it could pay off in the short term at least.
A title at Indian Wells would certainly silence the doubters.
Can Emma Raducanu shock the world at Indian Wells?
Raducanu isn’t exactly the favorite to win Indian Wells, but how has she performed in California throughout her career?
| Tournament | Best performance | Latest performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Qatar Open | 1R – 2024, 2025, 2026 | 1R – 2026 | 0-3 | 0% |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | 2R – 2025 | 1R – 2026 | 1-2 | 33% |
| Indian Wells | 4R – 2023 | 1R – 2025 | 6-5 | 55% |
| Miami Open | QF – 2025 | QF – 2025 | 4-3 | 57% |
| Madrid Open | 3R – 2022 | 2R – 2025 | 3-3 | 50% |
| Italian Open | 4R – 2025 | 4R – 2025 | 3-2 | 60% |
| Canadian Open | 3R – 2025 | 3R – 2025 | 2-2 | 50% |
| Cincinnati Open | 3R – 2022, 2025 | 3R – 2025 | 3-2 | 60% |
| China Open | 3R – 2025 | 3R – 2025 | 1-1 | 50% |
| Wuhan Open | 1R – 2025 | 1R – 2025 | 0-1 | 0% |
The Brit has won more matches at Indian Wells than at any other WTA 1000 event.
Emma Raducanu’s Indian Wells record (6-5)
- 2025 Indian Wells 1R [LOSS] vs Moyuka Uchijima
- 2024 Indian Wells 3R [LOSS] vs Aryna Sabalenka
- 2024 Indian Wells 2R [WIN] vs Dayana Yastremska
- 2024 Indian Wells 1R [WIN] vs Rebeka Masarova
- 2023 Indian Wells 4R [LOSS] vs Iga Swiatek
- 2023 Indian Wells 3R [WIN] vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
- 2023 Indian Wells 2R [WIN] vs Magda Linette
- 2023 Indian Wells 1R [WIN] vs Danka Kovinic
- 2022 Indian Wells 3R [LOSS] vs Petra Martic
- 2022 Indian Wells 2R [WIN] vs Caroline Garcia
- 2021 Indian Wells 2R [LOSS] vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
She did, however, lose her opener at Indian Wells in 2025 to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
But if Raducanu can avoid an early upset in 2026, perhaps she could make a run.
Entering as a top-32 seed, she will avoid the big hitters in the first two rounds.
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Then, providing she finds some form, Raducanu could produce an upset or two.
Only time will tell how well Raducanu will perform at Indian Wells, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Indian Wells begins on Wednesday, March 4.
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