BREAKING: EMMA RADUCANU COMMITS TO FRANCISCO ROIG FOR 2026 AFTER YEAR OF COACHING CHAOS
After a terrifying 2025 security scare and coaching merry-go-round, Emma Raducanu chooses stability with Francisco Roig.
Emma Raducanu had a wild 2025, but it looks like she's sticking with Francisco Roig as her head coach next year. She's been through a bunch of coaches this past year, so it seems she wants some stability now.
Things haven't been easy for Raducanu since she won the US Open. She's had some form issues, injuries, and a constant change of coaches.
On top of that, she dealt with a stalking incident in 2025. But with Roig, who used to work with Rafael Nadal, by her side, she's going into 2026 trying to get back to her Grand Slam-winning level.
Andrew Richardson coached Raducanu when she won the US Open, but Torben Beltz soon took over. That lasted from late 2021 into 2022, but after a few early losses in tournaments, Beltz was out too.
Two more coaches came and went before Raducanu's childhood coach, Nick Cavaday, rejoined the team in January 2024. He had to step down a year later due to health issues, so Roman Kelecic filled in temporarily.
Kelecic was Raducanu's coach during that scary stalking incident in February. An unknown man apparently approached Raducanu at her hotel when she didn't have any team members or security around.
Raducanu then spotted the same guy during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which really shook her up. He was reportedly kicked out of the match and arrested. This happened three years after she was stalked and harassed by someone else, who got a five-year restraining order.
After that mess, Vlado Platenik stepped in for a bit before Mark Petchey joined the team. He helped Raducanu through that tough time, and she got close to his daughters.
But Petchey was just a consultant and couldn't commit to travelling all the time. Roig was hired in August, and it sounds like he'll be coaching Raducanu through 2026.
When things get tough, Raducanu seems to rely on Roig. She's moved on from the stalking ordeal and is pretty much guaranteed a spot in the Australian Open. She also has her parents and a close group of friends to count on.
When she made it to the third round at Wimbledon this summer, she thanked her childhood friends for helping her get through it. Several of them were in the stands watching.
"They've been my rock through everything," Raducanu said. They're the closest people to me outside of my family. They're friends from secondary school, childhood. One of them I've known since I was 6 years old. Then another one since I was 14.
One of those friends is Benjamin Heynold, a student in America who was there to support Raducanu during her US Open win. They met when they were junior players, and Heynold's mom was even seen at Centre Court last summer.
Ryan Cohen, another friend of the tennis star, was photographed with Raducanu and Heynold at London's Winter Wonderland before she became famous.
Tessa Teo, a medic in London, and Carla Wilfert were also at Wimbledon, cheering on their friend, along with Raducanu's close friend Shauna, who lives in Dubai.
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.
