Emma Raducanu is on the hunt for a new coach and someone who once worked with Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova is reportedly the leading candidate to take the gig. Yesterday the shock news emerged that the Brit split with Torben Beltz after just five months working with him.
Now according to the Express , Riccardo Piatti appears to be the leading candidate to take over and he has previously worked with some impressive players. The Italian, who has worked with world No 1 Djokovic and five-time grand slam champion Sharapova, could assume the head coaching role at the head of the team without being full-time on the road.
Piatti, who is currently at a coaching conference in Athens, split with world No 12 Jannick Sinner in February. Raducanu trained at his Italian academy earlier this month and if he were to join the teen’s team, it could likely be on a part-time basis and he seems keen on the idea of working with one of sport's brightest talents.
Speaking from Greece last night, Piatti said: “It depends. I am interested in working with everyone.” The Bromley local indicated she now plans to play under a “new training model” which could see her work on a short-term basis with different coaches on different surfaces.
“I want to thank Torben for his coaching, professionalism and dedication over the last half a year,” said Raducanu in a statement after the surprise announcement was made. "He has a huge heart and I have enjoyed our strong chemistry during the time together.
“I feel the best direction for my development is to transition to a new training model with the LTA supporting in the interim.” The world No 11 is looking to hire her fourth head coach since she burst on the scene at Wimbledon last summer.
Eyebrows were raised when she parted ways with Alex Richardson, who guided her to glory in Flushing Meadows, although it was made clear he was a short-term appointment. Ahead of her first appearance at the Madrid Masters this week, Raducanu will work with LTA’s head of women’s tennis Iain Bates.
The No 9 seed will face world No 49 Tereza Martincova in the first round in the Spanish capital on Thursday. Raducanu beat the Czech in the recent Billie Jean King Cup tie in Prague.
She reached the quarter-finals of her first ever clay court event in Stuttgart last week, losing 6-4, 6-4 to world number one Iga Swiatek, who is currently on a 23-match win streak.
