The road back to the top hasn’t been easy for Emma Raducanu. The 2021 US Open champion has struggled to find her footing this season after an injury-plagued 2024. Her first Major of 2025 ended in disappointment as she ran into five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the third round. The match was one-sided, with the Pole dominating 6-0, 6-1, sending the 22-year-old packing from Melbourne. Just days later, the Brit was hit with more bad news—her coach, Nick Cavaday, announced his departure, adding another challenge to an already difficult period.

Raducanu addressed the split during a press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi Open. “It’s difficult. Nick is a great person. He’s someone I’ve known since I was a young girl, and he coached me before, so I think we were working really well together,” she said on Saturday. “Unfortunately, he had to prioritize his health, which I completely understand, and I support him, and I just wish him the speediest of recoveries.”

Cavaday had a long history with the former World No. 10, first coaching her in her early years and then reuniting with her ahead of the 2024 season. Their partnership saw Raducanu climb from outside the top 300 to inside the top 60 in just nine months. However, his decision to step away came shortly after her third-round Australian Open exit.

This marks Raducanu’s sixth coaching change since her historic 2021 US Open victory. Before Cavaday, she worked with Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Dmitry Tursunov, Torben Beltz, and Sebastian Sachs. Despite the frequent changes, she isn’t rushing to find a replacement.

“It’s a decision that I want to take my time with,” she explained. “I think that’s why I haven’t necessarily jumped into something straight away because I want to make sure it’s a right fit.”

The British tennis star is now gearing up to play at the Abu Dhabi Open.

Emma Raducanu on playing at the Abu Dhabi Open without a coach

Emma Raducanu was originally set to play the qualifiers at the Abu Dhabi Open but received a last-minute bump into the main draw. While dealing with the coaching change, the former US Open champion is focused on her next challenge—her opening-round match against 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. However, she wasn’t even aware of it when she sat down for interviews.

“I’ve just been face down on the massage table. I’ll figure it out later, I’m half asleep,” Raducanu joked to The National with a laugh.

The 22-year-old is staying flexible with her schedule and hasn’t confirmed whether she will continue the Middle East swing after Abu Dhabi. The upcoming events include the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha on February 9 and another in Dubai on February 16.

“I have no idea. I’m going to take it week by week. See how I am, see how the body is, and see what kind of plan we put in place, I guess,” she said. “But I’m not thinking too far ahead, just trying to take it day by day in the current situations.”

The “current situation” includes navigating the tour without a coach. She had already played the Singapore Open coachless, where she entered as the seventh seed and faced World No. 101 Cristina Bucsa in the first round. On paper, it looked like a winnable match, but Raducanu fell in a tight battle, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.

Now, she enters a tough Abu Dhabi field featuring World No.5 Elena Rybakina, Australian Open semifinalist Paula Badosa, and British No.1 Katie Boulter.

With a tricky draw and no coach in her corner, how will Emma Raducanu handle the challenge ahead?