With fans eagerly awaiting the action-packed season ahead, the buzz is already palpable. And speaking of buzz, Emma Raducanu has just dropped a mega claim that’s got everyone talking! In a move that screams ambition, Raducanu has brought Maria Sharapova’s former teammate, Yutaka Nakamura, into her camp. This sensational hire is raising eyebrows and expectations as the young Brit looks to turn the tide on her on-court challenges.

The British tennis sensation played her last match at the Korea Open and was forced to play on the off owing to injuries. She faced a foot injury during her quarterfinal clash against Daria Kasatkina and failed to continue her momentum since then. In fact, she managed to play only 34 matches throughout the season with her health creating continuous trouble for her. But now, she is looking forward to overcoming her challenges by partnering with strength and conditioning coach Nakamura.

Speaking about her partnership, Raducanu said, “I think he is going to help me just really explore how far I can go athletically.” Continuing further, she highlighted her ambitions of becoming one of the brightest players. “It’s a big strength of mine that I have nowhere near fulfilled. I think I can become one of the best athletes out there in tennis and I’m just looking forward to seeing how much I can do. And I think he’s really going to help with that. The way I’m working with him and Nick [Cavaday, her coach], it’s a lot more integrated,” she said per The Guardian. This comes after the tennis arena had been already buzzing with such rumors. 

For the unversed, the discussions started to gain momentum after Telegraph Sport reported that a long-time partnership between Raducanu and Nakamura is being discussed. But Emma Raducanu remained tight-lipped over the matter for a long. When quizzed about the same during the BJK Cup, Raducanu shared a skeptical answer and said, “We are having discussions. Yeah, we’ll see. I’m looking forward for 2025 regardless.” But this move is expected to help the star player overcome her woes. 

Nakamura boasts a strong CV having worked with  Maria Sharapova for eight years. He has also been the teammate of other players like Naomi Osaka, Tommy Haas, Kei Nishikori, and Denis Shapovalov. Now, he is training with Raducanu and her coach Nick Cavaday at the National Tennis Centre in London as she gears up to start the season in Auckland at the end of December. Reportedly, the Brit is also desiring to play in Adelaide before starting her Australian Open Campaign.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old has remained excited for the next season highlighting her determination to win more accolades going forward.

When Emma Raducanu expressed her determination to play sensationally next season

Emma Raducanu started her season as No. 285 but managed to rise up the table and is closing the year as World No. 59. After coming back from a troublesome season in 2023 where she witnessed multiple surgeries on her wrist and ankle, the star player depicted some true resilience. And it is for this reason, that despite a rocky season in 2024 as well, she is excited and determined to win more the next year. 

In an interaction with the press at the Billie Jean King Cup, where she won all five matches she played, Raducanu said, “I’m really pleased with how I fought and how I’m faring up against these top girls. I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot with my tennis right now.” She also highlighted how excited she is to be back on the courts as she looks forward to preparing for the next season.

“If anything, I’m excited and just itchy to get on the practice court, and of course seeing some of my performances this week, it just incentivizes me to do more work,” she shared. Now, it would be interesting to see how her upcoming season unfolds and if she manages to do wonders with the new addition to her team.