UNEARTHING THE MURRAY BLUEPRINT: CAN PETCHEY GIFT EMMA RADUCANU THAT MISSING GRAND SLAM GRIT?
Emma Raducanu flips the script! Discover why Mark Petchey is back, the Murray connection, and the plan for Indian Wells 2026.
Emma Raducanu has brought Mark Petchey back onto her team just before Indian Wells. She split from Francisco Roig after the Australian Open in January.
Since then, she’s been working with Alexis Canter, who’s still in her corner. Now Petchey’s joining in a more flexible, as-needed role. He actually coached her from March to July last year.
It’s a bit surprising; honestly, just a few days ago, Raducanu said she wasn’t searching for a new coach. Talking to the Guardian, she explained, “Right now, I have Alexis in my corner. He knows me as a person. He knows me as a player.”
She’s hoping this new team clicks at the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, especially after making the final at the Transylvania Open not long ago. Petchey, by the way, coached Andy Murray when he was just starting. When Murray and Petchey parted ways, Murray was open about it.
“Mark has been a big part of my success in the last 10 months, and we had a great run together, but we have had a difference of opinion regarding some aspects of my game,” Murray said back in April 2006. “It was a very difficult decision and based solely on the development of my tennis.”
Their partnership didn’t even last a whole year, but Petchey was there when a teenage Murray won his first ATP title in February 2006. Petchey saw something special in him right from the start.
After they split, Petchey said, “I am very proud of what we have achieved together, getting Andy into the top 50 and winning his first ATP title at the age of 18. I do not doubt that Andy will make the top 10 and be a Grand Slam winner in the future, and I wish him every success.”
Murray outdid all those predictions, picking up three Grand Slams and two Olympic golds. Still, there was never any bad blood. In 2016, with Murray at world No. 1, Petchey called him Britain’s greatest-ever sportsman.
He told Sky Sports, “I just think for Andy, with the way his opponents can impact his performance, the things he has to do to overcome them tactically, you saw it this week, the different styles of players, the different surfaces, criss-crossing the globe the way he does. For me, he is [Britain’s greatest ever sportsman], but there will be others who definitely disagree.”
HISTORY ON LINE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEGINS INDIAN WELLS RUN TO SNATCH FEDERER’S TITLE RECORD
Is Djokovic the GOAT? Discover how Novak plans to break Roger Federer’s Indian Wells title record in the 2026 California desert.
Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 17th run at Indian Wells, chasing a sixth Masters title in California. The draw hasn’t done him any favours, but plenty of experts still see him as a real threat to win it all.
He’s coming in hot, too. Djokovic kicked off the season by making it to the Australian Open final, only falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the very end.
There’s even more at stake this year. If Djokovic lifts the trophy at Indian Wells, he breaks a tournament record that Roger Federer currently shares with him.
Now, Federer’s name is all over the Indian Wells record books. Even after retiring in 2022, he still holds eight records there. You see his name next to most finals played, most matches played and won, and the most editions entered.
Right now, Federer and Djokovic are tied for most titles at Indian Wells, each with five. They also share a couple of other records, but this year, Djokovic has a shot at pulling ahead. If he wins, he grabs that title record outright, which would leave Federer with seven Indian Wells records to himself.
When it comes to head-to-head battles at Indian Wells, Djokovic has always had Federer’s number. They’ve faced off three times on those courts, and Djokovic came out on top every single time.
Here’s how some of the big records at Indian Wells stack up:
Most titles: Djokovic 5, Federer 5
Most finals: Federer 9
Most consecutive titles: Federer (2004–2006) and Djokovic (2014–2016), both with 3.
Most consecutive finals: Federer (two separate runs of 3), Djokovic (2014–2016)
Most matches played: Federer 79
Most matches won: Federer 66
Most consecutive matches won: Djokovic: 19
Most editions played: Federer 18.
Oldest champion: Federer (35 years, 7 months, 11 days in 2017)
So, while Federer still dominates the record books, Djokovic has a real chance to add another chapter to the rivalry and maybe take home another record for himself.
THE 3.3.26 DATE: UNEARTHING THE ROMANTIC DETAILS BEHIND ARYNA SABALENKA’S PROPOSAL IN CALIFORNIA
Aryna Sabalenka is engaged: Read about the 3.3.26 proposal to Georgios Frangulis and the reactions from Gauff, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are just a couple of the tennis stars who rushed to celebrate Aryna Sabalenka’s big news: she’s engaged to Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka dropped the announcement on social media right before kicking off her run at Indian Wells. As the world number one, she’ll jump straight into the second round, waiting to face either Alycia Parks or Himeno Sakatsume. But honestly, her focus seems split lately, and who can blame her? Off the court, she’s soaking up all the love and congratulations pouring in from fellow players.
She posted a video of the proposal on Instagram, adding a simple, sweet caption: “You & me, forever, 3.3.26.” Coco Gauff chimed in with a quick "Congratulations", and Alcaraz went all out with a stretched-out “Congratulatiooooons!” Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova also sent their best, and even Novak Djokovic shared some love. Sabalenka’s close friend Paula Badosa joined in, and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn couldn’t resist commenting either.
Now, with all the excitement swirling around her engagement, you have to wonder, can Sabalenka keep her head in the game at Indian Wells? Wedding plans are probably swirling in her mind, but if history tells us anything, it’s that Sabalenka knows how to lock in when it matters. Her serve is as deadly as ever, and she’s already put together an 11-1 win-loss record this season, with two finals under her belt.
She kicked things off with a title in Brisbane, then hit a snag in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. No doubt, she’s itching to get back to her winning ways in California. The hard courts there play right into her strengths, and all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface. Plus, she’s been a finalist at Indian Wells twice, so she’s got plenty of motivation to finally go all the way.
The field is stacked, so it won’t be easy. But honestly, if anyone’s primed for a breakthrough at Indian Wells, it’s Sabalenka.
