Category Sports News

Emma Raducanu says she is “excited” to be working with Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francis Roig as she prepares for this year’s US Open.

The 22-year-old had been working with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and has now added Spaniard Roig to her team full-time.

Roig, 57, worked alongside Nadal’s uncle Toni from 2005 to 2022 and was part of all 22 of the Spaniard’s Grand Slam victories.

“He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side,” Raducanu told Sky Sports.

The British number one is playing in the Cincinnati Open for the first time since 2022 this week and will face either fellow Briton Katie Boulter or Serb Olga Danilovic in her opening match after receiving a first-round bye.

Roig has joined Raducanu for the WTA 1,000 event in Ohio, which is the last tournament before the final Grand Slam of the season begins in New York on 24 August.

Raducanu’s build-up to the US Open has included a run to the semi-finals at the Washington Open in July, where she was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Russian Anna Kalinskaya, followed by a disappointing defeat by Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova at the Canadian Open last week.

She won just three games and only held serve twice as American world number seven Anisimova claimed a 6-2 6-1 victory in the third round.

Raducanu, who won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as a qualifier, says she and Roig are pinpointing where she can boost her performance.

“I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better,” she said. “I think against the very top, that’s what it needs, it needs to improve.

Frequent changes to Raducanu’s coaching team have raised questions over her set-up.

She has not had a permanent coach since Nick Cavaday stepped aside for health reasons in January, although he rejoined her team for the grass-court season.

Raducanu has previously worked with a wide range of coaches including Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson – who was in charge during her run to the US Open title – Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs.

Earlier this year, Raducanu ended a trial with Vladimir Platenik after two weeks.

Three-time Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Adam Peaty believes next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will “be a great opportunity” to put himself back in the mix for another shot at Olympic glory.

Peaty took a break from the sport after winning a silver medal at last year’s Paris Olympics.

The 30-year-old Englishman is now eyeing the next one – in Los Angeles in 2028 – and says a good showing in Glasgow would be an important step on his journey towards Stateside success.

“I just want to see what happens on the day because there is that famous quote of you don’t win an Olympics every four years, you win it every single day up to that four years.

“It is exactly the same with Glasgow, but it would be a great opportunity to put my name back in the hat.”

Peaty did not compete this month at the World Championships in Singapore, where a youthful Great Britain team returned with just two medals in the swimming and only one gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle.

But, speaking to BBC Scotland at a coaching clinic in Aberdeen, he said judgements should not be made on that apparently low medal return.

“They have got a lot of new people on the team and, like with any younger team, there is space to grow,” he added.

“In terms of medals alone, people will say ‘that is not enough’ for the investment, but it is a long process and you can’t expect to have a new, younger team and still win lots of medals, especially after Paris.

“Normally, two years out from an Olympics is where you can get an inkling of what is happening, but it’s all about making sure there is no complacency.

Naomi Osaka and Victoria Mboko, both of whom defied the odds, will face each other in the Canadian Open final.

The 18-year-old Canadian, who is 85th in the world, won the first set 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) in Montreal before saving a match point in the second.

In her first WTA 1000 final, Mboko, a wildcard entry, will face Osaka, who was previously the tournament’s wildcard competitor.

“I had everyone by my side who kept pushing me along,” Mboko said.

I don’t believe I would have been able to carry this through without you all.

Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin have already lost to the Canadian on a remarkable run to the final, and the Canadian is expected to move into the top 50 when the rankings are updated the following week.

She finished the year at the top of the world, ranking her 333rd, and capped off the year with a stunning 22-game winning streak.

Alexander Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam winner, was shocked to lose to Karen Khachanov, the 11th seed, in the men’s tournament in Toronto.

The 29-year-old won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) against the German after saving a match point.

“I had to dig deep and raise my level. It was a very physically, mentally, and physically demanding match, Khachanov said.

“Today was a very close call. If the ball touched the net and fell over, we wouldn’t be talking right away, even at match point.

After defeating compatriot and second seed Taylor Fritz with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, Khachanov will face American Ben Shelton in the final.

Naomi Osaka and Victoria Mboko, both of whom defied the odds, will face each other in the Canadian Open final.

The 18-year-old Canadian, who is 85th in the world, won the first set 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) in Montreal before saving a match point in the second.

In her first WTA 1000 final, Mboko, a wildcard entry, will face Osaka, who was previously the tournament’s wildcard competitor.

“I had everyone by my side who kept pushing me along,” Mboko said.

I don’t believe I would have been able to carry this through without you all.

Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin have already lost to the Canadian on a remarkable run to the final, and the Canadian is expected to move into the top 50 when the rankings are updated the following week.

She finished the year at the top of the world, ranking her 333rd, and capped off the year with a stunning 22-game winning streak.

Alexander Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam winner, was shocked to lose to Karen Khachanov, the 11th seed, in the men’s tournament in Toronto.

The 29-year-old won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) against the German after saving a match point.

“I had to dig deep and raise my level. It was a very physically, mentally, and physically demanding match, Khachanov said.

“Today was a very close call. If the ball touched the net and fell over, we wouldn’t be talking right away, even at match point.

After defeating compatriot and second seed Taylor Fritz with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, Khachanov will face American Ben Shelton in the final.