Emma Raducanu, the 22-year-old British tennis star, has been navigating a turbulent journey since her historic 2021 US Open triumph, but she’s found an unexpected ally in Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios. As Raducanu prepares for Wimbledon 2025, Kyrgios has publicly expressed empathy for the pressures she faces and offered candid advice on her coaching saga, emphasizing the need for a mentor who prioritizes her well-being over mere results. His comments, rooted in his own unconventional approach to coaching, come as Raducanu rediscovers her spark on the grass courts, igniting hope for a deep run at the All England Club.
Raducanu’s meteoric rise at 18, when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open, thrust her into a spotlight that brought both adulation and scrutiny. Since then, her career has been a rollercoaster of injuries, inconsistent form, and a revolving door of coaches—nine in four years, including Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, and Vladimir Platenik. Her latest split with Platenik, after just two weeks and one match, raised eyebrows, but Raducanu’s recent performances suggest she’s finding her footing. At the 2025 Miami Open, she reached the fourth round, defeating world No. 10 Emma Navarro and McCartney Kessler, prompting Kyrgios to take a swipe at her critics. “People awfully quiet that Raducanu is winning now – where all the experts at now? Lol coach’s overrated,” he posted on X, celebrating her resurgence.
Kyrgios, who has famously shunned coaching since 2017, believes the role of a coach is often overstated, particularly for players with unique personalities. “For some personalities, I think it’s overrated,” he told talkSPORT, reflecting on his own experience. “For personalities like myself, I wouldn’t want to put my coach through the ups and downs.” For Raducanu, he advocates for a mentor who connects with her off the court. “For someone like Emma, I think just finding someone that cares about her best interests—not only about the tennis—but getting to know these people off the court: what they love, what makes them tick,” he said. “I think that’s maybe what she’s been missing in the past. She needs someone that actually cares about her well-being.” His words resonate deeply, given Raducanu’s challenges, including a stalking ordeal in Dubai and the physical toll of wrist, ankle, and back injuries that derailed her 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Raducanu’s current setup reflects a return to familiarity. At Wimbledon, she’s working with Mark Petchey, a commentator and her childhood coach, and Nick Cavaday, who briefly stepped away for health reasons but has since returned. “I think having Mark and Nick, both people who have banks of experience and I think they can complement each other really well and I trust both of them a lot,” Raducanu said, expressing confidence in her team. Her recent grass-court results—quarterfinals at Queen’s Club and a hard-fought win over Ann Li at Eastbourne—suggest she’s rediscovering the joy of the game. Kyrgios, who has followed her progress, noted, “She’s had some good results over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been following. It looks like she’s enjoying herself, playing doubles with Katie Boulter.” He emphasized the importance of fun, adding, “Every time I see negativity in the media and all this, I do feel sorry because it’s like—she just wants to go out on court and play and enjoy it and get some good results.”
The mutual respect between Kyrgios and Raducanu is evident. In 2022, when Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final, Raducanu posted “NK” with a magic wand emoji, to which he responded with gratitude. Their bond, forged through shared experiences of navigating fame and criticism, has grown stronger. Kyrgios, sidelined from Wimbledon 2025 due to a knee injury, has faced his own battles, playing only six competitive matches since 2022. “I know how much you’ve been looking forward to seeing me out there and I’m genuinely sorry to disappoint,” he told fans, vowing to return stronger. His own resilience informs his empathy for Raducanu, who has faced harsh scrutiny, including claims from former pro Daniela Hantuchova in 2022 that she was “losing respect” in the locker room. Kyrgios fiercely defended her then, tweeting, “I read an article about a past female player talking about Raducanu, no offence but she is a far far bigger name already.”
As Raducanu prepares for Wimbledon, where she faces a tough draw but carries momentum from Eastbourne, Kyrgios’s advice underscores a broader truth: tennis is as much about mental fortitude as technical skill. “Hopefully she does find what works for her, but it’s not easy,” he concluded. Raducanu, who admitted to shedding tears after her Eastbourne win, is channeling that emotion into her game. Her partnership with Carlos Alcaraz in the upcoming US Open mixed doubles adds another layer of intrigue, but for now, her focus is on Wimbledon, where she aims to surpass her previous best of the fourth round. With Kyrgios in her corner and a renewed sense of purpose, Raducanu’s journey is a compelling narrative of perseverance, supported by an unlikely ally who understands the highs and lows of tennis stardom.
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