Raducanu to start trial with coach Platenik

When Emma Raducanu plays her first-round game at Indian Wells on Thursday, Slovakian coach Vladimir Platenik will give her a trial period.

When Lulu Sun, a New Zealand qualifier, defeated Raducanu in the fourth round of Wimbledon in July, the 49-year-old was coaching her.

When Platenik reached the French Open semifinals in 2009, she assisted her compatriot Dominika Cibulkova, and she also trained Russians Veronika Kudermetova and Daria Kasatkina.

Tom Welsh, the head coach of the Loughborough Academy, made the decision to join Raducanu for Indian Wells, which was described as a one-time deal.

In her opening Indian Wells match, Raducanu plays Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, who has been without a permanent coach since Nick Cavaday stepped down as a result of his health concerns following the Australian Open’s January meeting.

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

“I think once I have a structure in place, I feel very set-up,” according to the author, “whereas in the Middle East it was very difficult for me because I didn’t really have any guidance or advice on] which tournaments to play, and it was very difficult doing it all on my own.”

I have that need for planning and preparation. That’s what I’m creating, and it’s making me feel more at ease.

The 2021 US Open champion had previously worked with a variety of coaches, including Sebastian Sachs, Torben Beltz, Andrew Richardson, and Dmitry Tursunov.

When questioned about the ideal characteristics of a coach, Raducanu gave an outline of what she is looking for, despite the fact that the position has not been officially advertised.

She said, “I would say work ethic, genuine passion and enthusiasm for what they do.”

I’m the type of person who can train for a lot of hours, but it doesn’t feel like it.

Someone who genuinely has the drive and desire to do the best and win big titles, but who doesn’t necessarily view what they do as work.

Many people claim they have something, but they don’t necessarily. You can feel it, and I believe I have a strong feelings bias.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was defeated by France’s Varvara Gracheva in the first round of the main draw at Indian Wells, winning by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Czech Kvitova, who gave birth to her first child in July and returned to the WTA Tour last month, is still looking for her first victory as a result of the defeat.