Emma Raducanu has spoken about her new coach (Image: Associated Press)
British tennis ace has praised her new trainer Yutaka Nakamura, calling their partnership a solid addition to her compact travel team. The former US Open champion, who carefully maintains a tight-knit inner circle, welcomed Nakamura alongside coach Nick Cavaday to her team towards the end of last year.
Nakamura, celebrated for his prior stints with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka—who recently hailed him as a “really kind person” fond of selfies and sushi—has been working intensively with Raducanu. The 22-year-old sportswoman aims to ward off the injuries that have marred her career and fulfil her athletic promise.
She spoke highly of teamwork ahead of her clash with world number 26 Ekaterina Alexandrova on Tuesday, telling PA: “Big time it is important that everyone meshes well together,” Stressing the significance of camaraderie in such close quarters she said: “You spend so much time with the people you work with that of course it’s important to have a good rapport and get on.”
“I think where me and Yutaka are very similar is we’re very dedicated and, even with our long days, we always stay motivated, we motivate each other and feed off of the energy, which is great to have because not many people are so committed to that from 8am in the morning to 8pm at night, over and over, you’re still showing up with the same attitude and mentality.”
Highlighting the stability Nakamura brings, she concluded: “That has been really good for me and a constant, and someone who’s been really reliable.”
Raducanu has opened up about the importance of on and off-court relationships with team members for a player’s success. She values her personal space however, stating: “I’m someone who loves my own space as well,” and described herself as “I’m a bit of black cat, that’s how some people would describe me.”
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Emma Raducanu is gearing up to get her Australian Open campaign underway. (Image: Getty)
Raducanu also shared her routine for maintaining balance: “During the day when you’re on site or training, you’re literally with them the whole time. But I think it’s important that in the morning I’ll take a walk by myself, go get a coffee on my own, or go for a walk in the evening. I seem to be walking a lot.”
Former British number one has praised Raducanu’s recent coaching choice, commenting: “Yutaka’s a great guy, I like him a lot.”
Robson, familiar with Yutaka from her own training experiences, added: “He’s just got a huge amount of experience. He’s a really easy personality to have on the road as well, which is an underrated trait. From what I’ve seen, they’ve been getting on great. I think he’ll be a great addition.”
Laura Robson has praised Raducanu’s decision (Image: Getty)
She also noted the careful selection process for a coach that fits well with the team: “It’s something that she wanted to do for ages but you’re looking for the right person, you’re looking for someone who gels really well with the team, and it seems like that’s the case here. I think they’ll carry on for quite some time.”
After her US Open victory, Raducanu seemed isolated as she adjusted to tour life, but three years later, she appears to be more content and at ease.
Raducanu has spoken candidly about her experiences with the Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup team, acknowledging the camaraderie and friendships she’s built. “I have a few friends on tour who are very nice and are great to spend time with on a day off or afternoon off, or having a meal together,” she shared.
However, Raducanu admits there’s a competitive edge that can’t be ignored: “But it’s also very difficult to become very close with them when you compete with them. I’m someone that, with my friends, I give everything, so it’s difficult for me to give everything to a friendship and then have to play them on the court.”
Despite this, she maintains a positive outlook on her relationships within the sport: “I think there’s always going to be a slight barrier in some sense but I have a pretty good relationship with most of the girls.”