Raducanu has been without a full-time coach since parting ways with Nick Cavaday in January. Since then, the world No. 55 has enlisted various childhood mentors and LTA staff as her temporary coaches for individual tournaments.
But the former US Open champion remains on the hunt for a permanent mentor and confirmed that she would be trialling a partnership with Slovakian coach Platenik in Indian Wells.
However, their time in the desert was practically over before it started, as Raducanu lost her opening match on Thursday. After suffering a straight-set defeat in round one, the 22-year-old explained that it was very early days with Platenik.
« I mean, we haven’t necessarily done that much yet, because he arrived very, very recently. So it was the day before the match where we don’t necessarily want to, like, change anything, » she said.
« So we haven’t actually started, I’d say, like, proper work. Yeah, from how I have met him, he’s very serious, he’s very professional, gets on with it. So yeah, we’ll see how it goes. »
Raducanu has already worked with more than a hanfdul of coaches in her young career, and her partnership with Cavaday was her first long-term coaching relationship since she burst onto the scene in 2021.
But Cavaday, who was one of Raducanu’s childhood coaches, stepped away to spend more time at home due to a health condition. Asked how disruptive their split had been, the world No. 55 replied: « Yeah, a lot has happened since Australia.
« It’s good that I have someone who is very experienced here. And we’ll see how the work goes and how we get on as well on and off the court and the methods and everything.
« So I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. I think I just need to, yeah, keep trying to put one foot in front of the other and not look back too much. »
While Raducanu and Platenik are yet to properly start their partnership, the Brit already knows what she needs to work on in her game.
« I think I’ll need to improve starting the point. I think that’s a big part of tennis. I think I can do that a lot better. I think I could improve I guess being more aggressive and, like, having a better quality of shot going forward into the court more, » she explained.
Smiling, the Brit added: « I think I could improve every area of my game, to be honest after today’s performance. But yeah, I think everything, to be honest. »
Raducanu is next expected to compete in the Miami Open later this month.
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