Emma Raducanu‘s 2025 season has been a turbulent journey. From a third-round Australian Open loss to Iga Swiatek to a series of disheartening first-round defeats in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, concerns mounted over the former US Open champion. While a glimmer of hope emerged with a victory over Maria Sakkari in Dubai, it proved fleeting. Now, as Raducanu heads to Indian Wells, a potential turning point may be on the horizon. With a new Slovakian mentor in her corner, the question is: can she finally reverse her fortunes?

On March 6th, sports news correspondent James Gray broke some exciting news on his X handle: “Emma Raducanu has Slovakian coach Vlado Platenik on trial with her in Indian Wells. The 49-year-old has worked with a host of WTA players including Daria Kasatkina, Dominika Cibulková, Veronika Kudermetova and Lulu Sun. First match together on Thursday.” 

“I don’t want to rush into anything, but I’m looking, I’m finding options and setting trials up,” Raducanu, 22, told BBC Sport before the tournament.

“I think once I have a structure in place, I will feel very set – whereas in the Middle East it was very difficult for me because I didn’t really have any direction or [advice on] which tournaments to play, and it was very difficult doing it all on my own.” Notably, during her time in the Middle East, Raducanu was accompanied by Roman Kelecic, a Croatian coach based in Dubai, with whom she had previously traveled during her junior career.

“I’m that kind of person who needs a plan and needs preparation. That’s what I’m building and that’s making me feel more comfortable.”

Interesting face: Loughborough Academy coach Tom Welsh agreed to join Raducanu for Indian Wells, but that was billed as a one-off arrangement.

This change comes following her split with Nick Cavaday after a 14-month partnership in February this year. Cavaday, one of Emma’s childhood coaches, stepped away to focus on his health, leaving Raducanu without a full-time mentor. Raducanu has struggled to find her rhythm, winning just one match at the Dubai Open since Cavaday’s departure. 

She has previously collaborated with a diverse coaching team, including Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson (her coach during her New York title win), Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, and Sebastian Sachs.

Interesting face: Interestingly, Platenik also coached New Zealand’s ‘Lulu Sun’ during the 2024 season, including her impressive Wimbledon run, where she defeated Raducanu herself when she was making a return from recovery in the R16. At the time, Sun was ranked No. 123 in the world and had come through qualifying before reaching the QF. 

However, her challenges haven’t been limited to on-court struggles. 

Raducanu opens up about her recent security measures

Currently ranked 55th in the world, Raducanu struggles began at the ‘Dubai Tennis Championships’ last month when she encountered an obsessed fan who followed her to multiple tournaments. The unsettling situation escalated when the individual appeared during her 2nd round match against Karolina Muchova, leaving Raducanu visibly distressed.

Acting swiftly, the Dubai Police removed the suspect and issued a restraining order. However, the incident has had a long-lasting impact, leading to heightened security measures around her. Raducanu is now under almost constant, discreet security protection. Despite considering withdrawing from the ‘Indian Wells Open’ because of the trauma, she has ultimately chosen to compete with tournament officials implementing additional protective measures.

“It’s amazing to feel protected, to feel safe. And Mike [the head of her security detail] does an amazing job of just staying in the shadows. He’s always there, but you can’t necessarily see him. When I’m away from the courts, I don’t have private security right now, but I’m always with someone who could raise the alarm or could help in a scenario. Whereas before I maybe would have gone on walks alone, I’m pretty much chaperoned everywhere,” she said ahead of her appearance at the event. 

Emma Raducanu will face 52nd seed Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. The two players have previously met on the court, with Raducanu winning in straight sets at the 2022 Korea Open. If she secures a victory, it would set up an exciting match against world No. 3 Coco Gauff, who is also a Grand Slam champion. How far do you think Emma will advance to the Sunshine Doubles?