British tennis star Emma Raducanu is looking for a new coach for the eighth time in her career after parting ways with Vladimir Platenik.
The Slovakian coach replaced Raducanu’s longtime mentor Nick Cavaday, but lasted just two weeks before being let go in the trial period.
Cavaday has left a major hole in Raducanu’s camp since stepping down due to health reasons in the aftermath of this year’s Australian Open.
The British No.2 took on Platinek ahead of the Indian Wells Masters, at which Raducanu was knocked out in the first round.
It was clear a decision had already been made by Wednesday, when Platenik was absent from Raducanu’s box for her straight-sets victory over Sayaka Ishii at the Miami Open.
A spokesperson for Raducanu has since confirmed the split.
“Emma and Vlado have parted ways,” they said.
“Emma has utmost respect for Vlado and the work they started but it wasn’t quite heading in the right direction
“Emma is now focused on doing as well as she can here in Miami after her a solid start today and will continue looking for the right coach.”
According to Platenik, he had already turned down two previous approaches from Raducanu before accepting the offer to be her coach.
“Emma also approached me in a similar situation right after a great success (winning the 2021 US Open), which is why I said it could be coaching suicide,” Platenik told Slovak newspaper Dennik N.
“But now she is in a completely different position. She’s already gone through hell, she’s already been through the worst.”
It’s been a tumultuous month for Raducanu, who earlier this month said she couldn’t see the ball through tears and was barely able to breathe after noticing a stalker during her match at the Dubai Championships two weeks ago.
Raducanu looked distressed during the opening set of her second-round clash against Karolina Muchova and stood behind the umpire’s chair as security personnel led the man out.
The 22-year-old then resumed the match and lost 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
“I was obviously very distraught,” Raducanu told reporters at Indian Wells.
“I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish’.
“I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather’.”
Raducanu said she had previously been approached twice off the court in Dubai by the man, who was also present during her matches in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha in preceding weeks.
She decided to drop the charges against the man who had been detained by Dubai Police. He has since been banned from all WTA tournaments.
“It was a very emotional time,” added Raducanu, who took a week off before returning to the tour.
“After the match I did break down in tears, but not necessarily because I lost. There was just so much emotion in the last few weeks of the events happening, and I just needed that week off to take a breather and come here.
“I feel a lot better.”
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au