Raducanu celebrates winning the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York in 9/2021. Photo: *Reuters*

Raducanu worked part-time with coach Mark Petchey since March and achieved some positive results. After reaching the Miami Open quarterfinals, she advanced to the round of 16 at the Italian Open and then reached the quarterfinals of the grass-court tournament at Queen’s Club.

Raducanu's Wimbledon run ended in the third round against Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka also defeated the British player in the third round of the Cincinnati Open. Between these two events, Raducanu had an impressive run at the Citi Open, reaching the semifinals.

However, the 22-year-old could not continue working with Petchey, who previously coached Andy Murray early in his career, due to his prior commitments to television commentary. They parted ways in early July. This decision opened the door for Raducanu to welcome Roig.

Roig will be the eighth coach to work with Raducanu since her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon four years ago. Nigel Sears previously coached the British player before handing over the reins to Andrew Richardson, who guided her to the 2021 US Open title.

Raducanu then had a few other short-term coaching partnerships, but plans were disrupted by recurring injuries. While Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs only worked with her for a few months each, Vladimir Platenik's tenure lasted just 14 days this season.

Raducanu hopes the coaching instability of the past 18 months will end with Roig. Since concluding his long tenure with Nadal in 2022, Roig coached Matteo Berrettini for 10 months, until 10/2024. This will be his first experience on the WTA Tour.

Coach Roig (left) instructs Raducanu during a training session in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in 8/2025. Photo: *Reuters*

As a player, Roig specialized in doubles but also reached a career-high singles ranking of world number 60. Early in his coaching career, the Barcelona native worked with Feliciano Lopez. When Toni Nadal wanted to reduce his workload and travel time with his nephew Rafa, he asked Roig if he was interested in joining Nadal's team.

That was in 2005, when Nadal was 19. A few months later, Rafa won the first of his 22 Grand Slam titles, and the first of a record 14 French Open championships. Each year, Roig typically spent 12 weeks traveling with Nadal, while staying in regular contact with Toni. When there were no tournaments, Roig assisted Rafa in training sessions in Spain. Roig became a trusted member of Nadal's team.

This relationship was so strong that at the 2013 Qatar Open, when Nadal needed a doubles partner, Roig readily stepped onto the court. It was his return to competitive play after 12 years, just four months before his 46th birthday.

"Roig doesn't overuse video analysis. He has the ability to see things other coaches don't," Feliciano Lopez said of Roig's value to Nadal. "He can spot nuances in Rafa's forehand or movement that others miss. Technically, I think he's the best coach in the world."

Thanks to Roig, Nadal improved his volleys and backhand slice. Roig himself mentioned improving the quality of Nadal's warm-up routine to help him perform better later in his career. "It's not just about practice, the warm-up is crucial, that's why Rafa's warm-ups are so long," Roig said. "He's very disciplined in his training because he knows what it takes to be the world number one."

Under Roig's guidance, Nadal (right) won 14 French Open titles among his 22 Grand Slam titles. Photo: *ATP*

When Roig left, Nadal paid tribute: "I was a kid when we started working together. With my uncle Toni, we embarked on a long journey. Francisco is an excellent technical coach, someone who understands tennis deeply. He helped me improve immensely. I am incredibly grateful for all the years we worked together and for his friendship."

The relationship with Raducanu will undoubtedly be different, but Roig's expertise and experience remain invaluable assets for Britain's number one female player. Like Nadal, Raducanu values the input of her previous coaches, but the 22-year-old also needs a fresh perspective and new ideas for the next stage of her career.

If Roig can elevate Raducanu's performance and allow her to compete consistently with the top players, the likelihood of the Spanish coach staying longer than his predecessors is very high.

Vy Anh