On a chilly evening at Rome’s Foro Italico, Emma Raducanu delivered a performance that echoed the tenacity of her 2021 US Open triumph. On May 7, 2025, the 22-year-old British star battled through a grueling three-set match against 19-year-old Australian qualifier Maya Joint, securing a 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 victory in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The nearly three-hour clash, marked by dramatic momentum swings and a high level of play, showcased Raducanu’s growing resilience on clay—a surface she has openly admitted feels foreign. As she prepares to face world No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round, Raducanu’s reflections on the win and the absence of her part-time coach, Mark Petchey, reveal a player embracing both her progress and the complexities of her unconventional coaching setup.
Raducanu’s match against Joint was a rollercoaster of emotions and strategy. After clawing back from a 4-2 deficit to claim the first set, she held a commanding 5-3 lead in the second, only to falter in a tiebreak as Joint’s aggressive play surged. Undeterred, Raducanu regrouped during a bathroom break before the third set, unleashing her most assertive tennis to storm to a 5-0 lead. Though Joint mounted a late comeback, Raducanu held firm, saving a break point at 5-3 to seal the win. “It was a really hard battle,” she said post-match. “Maya played an amazing match and such a high level. I think the overall level of the match was really high, and she’s flown up the rankings. Playing like this, I think she’s gonna go up really fast, really quick.” Her praise for Joint underscored the quality of the contest, while her own performance left her beaming with pride. “I’m really proud of myself as well, because that was a great performance, I think, on all fronts,” she added.
The victory, Raducanu’s first in Rome since her injury-forced retirement against Bianca Andreescu in 2022, carried added weight given the challenging conditions. “It gives me a lot of confidence because it’s not just clay—it’s at night, it’s heavy,” she explained. “I think with the new balls, it was still flying, but the balls got old pretty quickly and it was very cold. I’m really proud. I take a lot of confidence from this win, not just because I won, but I think the level in general was really high, and I was committing to my shots, which is what I said I wanted to do, and I was really going for it.” This commitment to aggression reflects the influence of Petchey, who has steered her away from overly technical training toward a focus on patterns, drills, and bold shot-making since joining her team in March.
Petchey’s absence from her player’s box, however, highlighted the logistical hurdles of their ad-hoc arrangement. Committed to his role as a commentator for the Tennis Channel, Petchey was calling Raducanu’s match from the broadcast booth, leaving Jane O’Donoghue, a trusted friend and former Lawn Tennis Association coach, as her sole courtside support. Raducanu took the situation in stride, injecting humor into her response: “Petch, I think was on comms of my match, so I hope he was nice to me,” she said with a laugh. Yet, the setup has sparked debate, with former British No. 1 Dan Evans warning that it “can’t last if she starts losing matches and Petchey is in the commentary box.” Raducanu remains optimistic, noting, “It’s been working pretty well. Mark is doing his commentary work and around that he is going to help me as much as he can and hopefully the times align that he can be there with me in the matches.”
Raducanu’s journey since her US Open triumph has been turbulent, marked by injuries, coaching changes, and intense scrutiny. Now ranked No. 45, she is closing in on overtaking Katie Boulter as British No. 1, a milestone within reach if she sustains her form. Her recent run to the Miami Open quarterfinals and a competitive Madrid Open showing signal a player rediscovering her spark. Working with Petchey, who previously coached Andy Murray, and O’Donoghue, who is on sabbatical from a finance career, Raducanu has found a “bubble” of trust and enjoyment. “I like him a lot and I’ve known him since before the US Open, and it’s nice to have familiar faces around,” she said of Petchey, emphasizing the value of their longstanding rapport.
As Raducanu eyes her next challenge against Alexandrova, whom she defeated at the 2025 Australian Open but lost to in Qatar, her focus is clear: bridge the gap to the elite through aggressive play and mental resilience. With the French Open looming, this victory on Rome’s red clay is a stepping stone, proving she can thrive under pressure and adapt to adversity—both on the court and in her evolving team dynamics.
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