StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

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.

Breaking: Emma Raducanu Commits to Francisco Roig for 2026 After Year of Coaching Chaos
Emma Raducanu is Keeping Her Ninth Coach

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.

BREAKING: AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEEDING AT RISK! CHECK THE NEW 18-TOURNAMENT RANKING RULE NOW

The 2026 ATP season begins with a major rule change. Rankings now count only 18 tournaments, causing points to drop for the Top 10.

top-news
Which tennis superstars just lost points to the new system?

The 2026 ATP Tour season kicks off with the United Cup this Friday. Everyone's watching to see what happens in men's tennis this year.

There's a ranking rule change that started late in 2025 that everyone will be dealing with.

Here’s a breakdown of the change and who it's impacting:

What's the New Rule?

Before 2026, a player's ATP ranking could include points from 19 tournaments: the four Grand Slams, the eight mandatory Masters 1000 events, and their next seven best results.

These could be from the Monte Carlo Masters, ATP 500, ATP 250, or Challenger events. Qualifying for the ATP Finals was a bonus.

Now, only 18 events count. Rankings will only include the four Grand Slams, eight mandatory Masters events, and a player's six best results, plus the ATP Finals if they qualify.

Also, the top 30 players only need to play four ATP 500 events, instead of five.

Who's Affected in the Top 10?

This change took place recently, and seven players in the top 10 lost points. Their positions stayed the same this time, except for the players who are stated.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Jack Draper were not affected.

Alexander Zverev lost 50 points, Novak Djokovic dropped 10, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost 55, Taylor Fritz dropped 50, Alex de Minaur lost 55, Lorenzo Musetti dropped 50, and Ben Shelton lost 10 points.

What About the Rest of the Rankings?

The top players are mostly okay, but the further down the rankings you go, the more change you'll see.

In the top 20, Jiri Lehecka is the only one impacted. He lost 10 points and fell to No. 18. Karen Khachanov moved up to 17th.

Luciano Darderi and Tallon Griekspoor switched places and are now ranked 25th and 26th. These were the only changes in the top 30.

Outside the top 30, there were bigger moves.

Jaume Munar jumped three spots to No. 33, and Corentin Moutet moved up to 34th. Brandon Nakashima and Stefanos Tsitsipas each fell two spots.

Now ranked 35th and 36th, Nakashima and Tsitsipas might have a harder time getting seeded for the Australian Open.

Pablo Carreno Busta dropped the most, falling from 89th to 93rd.

IMMEDIATE: SHOCKING DETAILS BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ-FERRERO SPLIT; WILL HE JOIN RIVAL JANNIK SINNER

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has shocked tennis by splitting with Juan Carlos Ferrero. Learn the real reason behind the breakup.

top-news
Ferrero Confirms No Communication With Alcaraz Since Dec 17

Tennis fans were shocked when Carlos Alcaraz and his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, split. Ferrero has now said whether they've talked since.

Even though Alcaraz is only 22, his time with Ferrero is one of tennis' best. The 2003 French Open champ started coaching Alcaraz, who was a young, promising player in 2019.

With Ferrero's help, Alcaraz became a superstar and one of the most exciting players to watch. He's won six Grand Slams and finished 2025 as the world's top player, ahead of Jannik Sinner.

The only major title they didn't win together was the Australian Open. Even though it's still a few weeks away, people recently saw Alcaraz's outfit for the 2026 tournament in Melbourne. It's bright and colourful.

Alcaraz had a great 2025, winning two more Grand Slams, so the split was even more surprising. It sounds like disagreements between Ferrero and others close to Alcaraz caused the change.

In an interview, Ferrero answered a question everyone's been asking: Have he and Alcaraz been in touch since they stopped working together?

We haven't talked yet because he needs to relax so he can train. Once things calm down, we'll talk, and everything will be fine.

Ferrero's nice words about Alcaraz suggest they'll talk again. He thinks they can still be friends after all they've achieved.

I've learned a lot from Carlos. He's a kid with amazing charisma. He's always loyal and honest, tells the truth, and works really hard. I'm happy because once things settle, I'm sure we'll keep talking, remembering all the things we did together, and stay friends.

It must be tough for Ferrero not to be coaching Alcaraz after working so hard to make him one of the best. Taking some time before talking to the 22-year-old might also be good for him.

Juan Carlos Ferrero was also asked about coaching Jannik Sinner after splitting from Carlos Alcaraz.

Since 2024, one of Ferrero's main jobs has been helping Alcaraz figure out how to beat Jannik Sinner. Together, they've won every men's singles Grand Slam in the last two seasons.

Now that Ferrero isn't Alcaraz's coach, he was asked if he'd consider joining Sinner's team, which would be a huge change in tennis.

Ferrero didn't say no. Instead, he said he needed time to get used to not coaching Alcaraz. Sinner is still coached by Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, after Cahill changed his mind about retiring at the end of 2025.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News