EMMA RADUCANU IN RIGHT DIRECTION: NADAL'S EX-COACH JOINS TEAM FOR 2026 SEASON
Emma Raducanu's stability with coach Francisco Roig has her poised for a 2026 major challenge. Tim Henman credits the partnership for her top-30 finish and renewed enjoyment on tour.
Emma Raducanu might be a contender for major championships in 2026 because she has found some much-needed stability with her support group.
Raducanu ended the 2025 season ranked among the top 30 players on the WTA Tour. This is the highest she has finished a season since 2021, when she captured her first, and thus far only, Grand Slam title at the US Open.
She had a difficult time in the years after that due to frequent changes within her team and also because of injuries, which led to a lot of inconsistency. This seemed to change during the past season.
Raducanu performed well at times, reaching the semi-finals at the Citi Open, the quarter-finals at the Queen's Championships, and the quarter-finals at the Miami Open. Although she has not yet won another title since her memorable US Open victory, she is clearly moving forward positively.
One reason why Raducanu has been able to stabilise things could be her work with Francisco Roig. Roig is a seasoned coach who has previously worked with Rafael Nadal, and he has certainly contributed a lot.
Tim Henman, a former top 4 player, also believes that this is true. He talked with Sky Sports about Raducanu, and he emphasised Roig as a key factor in the British player's improvement.
"She's progressing well, and I believe we all recognised that she needed stability and consistency. She has Francisco Roig in her corner. It seems they are developing a strong partnership, and I am happy that it will continue into 2026. He brings a wealth of knowledge."
Laura Robson also commented on Raducanu during the same interview. The silver medallist from the 2012 London Olympics did not focus on Raducanu's team but instead on her demeanour both on and off the court towards the end of the 2025 season.
Raducanu seemed to be enjoying her time on the tour more, which could be very important for how well she does in the 2026 season. She is now in a position to be seeded for Grand Slams and does not have to worry about getting wild card entries or even playing in qualifying rounds.
"I can only imagine the amount of pressure she must have felt for a while with everyone expecting her to have the same level of success. It's incredibly difficult to follow up on that when you're healthy, let alone when you're recovering from injuries."
"We could see this at the US Open. She appears to be more relaxed. She played some golf in New York and is simply enjoying her time on the court, which is by far the most important thing. It's easy to forget how young she is."
Raducanu will almost certainly begin the 2026 season as a possible surprise contender at every major event. She has challenged the current world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, several times this year, showing that she can compete with the best players.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
