Emma Raducanu‘s unfortunate phase doesn’t seem to end anytime soon this season. After a disappointing exit from Melbourne, following her crushing 1-6, 0-6 defeat against Iga Swiatek, the 2021 US Open winner successively failed in Singapore and then in Abu Dhabi. Just when it looked as if the Brit had a slight chance to shine in her next WTA event, thanks to a wildcard ticket, the latest update might just have broken her hopes already. The 22-year-old will have an uphill task to prove her mettle this month when she steps on the court. But why so?

On Friday, the main draws for the Qatar Open were announced. But the most shocking has to be that of Raducanu’s. In her first round, she’s set to face Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. Seems normal, right? No, it’s not. For the unversed, Alexandrova is coming off her title win in Linz last week. In the final, she beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. So it won’t be easy for Raducanu to overcome her.

But if she does, somehow, it’s the next stage where the actual nightmare awaits the Brit. She will meet none other than World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. Considering Raducanu’s current form, one can only imagine how brutal of a draw it is for her. Facing the three-time Grand Slam winner in Round 2 won’t be a cakewalk. That’s a certainty.

The main reason for Raducanu’s fans to worry right now is her dwindling performance. Coming back after an injury-ridden 2024, she was hoping to make a solid return this season. But the results have been disappointing so far. After her stint down under got over, she couldn’t impress much in the Singapore Open last month. She was ousted in the first round after a 7-5, 5-7, 5-7 defeat against Spain’s Cristina Bucșa.

Then at the Abu Dhabi Open earlier this week, where she got a direct entry due to a wildcard boost, Raducanu failed again. 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova eliminated her in the first round with a score line of 6-3, 6-4. As if the performance woes are not enough, the Brit is also facing another big trouble of having no coach. But how come?

Emma Raducanu’s coaching woes return

For the unversed, Emma Raducanu’s previous trainer Nick Cavaday announced his departure last month. After her loss against former World No.1 Swiatek in the third round, Cavaday decided to part ways. However, he had his reasons too. “I am very happy to have been able to work with Emma over the last 14 months. At this moment in time, it’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritize getting back to full health, which is hard to do with the extensive calendar.”

Since her 2021 US Open victory, Cavaday was the sixth coach to work with her. Prior to him, she had Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Dmitry Tursunov, Torben Beltz, and Sebastian Sachs on her team. After Cavaday left, she was expected to reveal her new trainer soon. On the contrary, she chose to take a break. But why? In an interaction with The National News, dated February 2, Raducanu revealed, “It’s a decision that I want to take my time with. 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.”

While she’s yet to confirm an update on the next trainer, there were rumors indicating a name a few days back. It happens to be none other than her compatriot and ex-British pro-Andy Murray. The latter joined forces with 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic last year. However, the future of their partnership hangs in uncertainty after Djoker’s shocking Australian Open exit. He had to retire from the semifinal stage, against Alexander Zverev, due to a hamstring injury. Since then, there’s been no update from either Murray or the Serbian on their collaboration’s extension.

As for the chances of the 37-year-old joining Raducanu, he’s already expressed his wish to coach her in the past. Back in 2022, in an interaction with Tennis Channel, the three-time Slam winner was asked to name four players he would like to train. In his response, he revealed, “Female player–Emma Raducanu. Male player – between (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Stefanos) Tsitsipas, and (Jack) Draper.”

Only time will tell if the 22-year-old will bring Murray into her team. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on her performance at the Qatar Open next week. What are your thoughts on her prospects in this event? Will she make a deep run? Let us know in the comments below.