In the latest episode of the Big T podcast, Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, former WTA pro Coco Vandeweghe, and former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins discussed various burning topics from the recently concluded Grand Slam in Melbourne and everything that happened on the sidelines.
In one segment, the trio discussed former US Open champion Emma Raducanu parting ways with her coach, Francisco Roig, after a disappointing second-round exit at the Australian Open. Speaking on the topic, Gilbert took a sly dig at the 23-year-old Brit, pointing out the high frequency with which she has changed coaches in recent years.
“Well, I’m surprised it lasted this long. She made it six months, right? Isn’t that a long way for her?” Gilbert said. Sometime after, Vandeweghe pointed out that Raducanu needed a coach, and Gilbert wasn’t interested in taking the job should the opportunity arise. “I want to coach again, but I will make my decision,” replied Gilbert to Vandeweghe’s statement.
The British No. 1 had teamed up with Roig, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, in the summer of 2025, but just six months later parted ways with him, citing re-evaluating her coaching needs.
She had a disappointing stint during the Australian swing, losing her only match in the United Cup, making a quarterfinal exit at the Hobart International, and then being knocked out by Anastasia Potapova in the second round of the Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu Has Had Nine Different Coaches in Her Young Professional Career
Raducanu turned pro in 2018 and won her first Major Grand Slam in 2021 at Flushing Meadows in New York. Since turning pro, the Brit No. 1 has had inconsistent runs on the WTA circuit, marred by multiple injury stints and frequent coaching changes.
She has had a total of nine coaches since turning pro. She is currently under the guidance of former player Alexis Canter, who has accompanied the Brit to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she is playing the Winners Open, a WTA 250 event.
In Romania, Raducanu has cruised through the opening two rounds and will now be facing Maja Chwalinska in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Her best stint with a coach came under Nigel Sears, who guided the then-teenager to her maiden fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon, and Andrew Richardson, who then led her to her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2021.
It remains to be seen whether her trial stint with the tenth coach of her pro career can last longer than the previous ones.
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