Emma Raducanu's true feelings on coach Francisco Roig as insight shared on new relationship

Emma Raducanu has revealed the brilliant bond she has created with new coach Francisco Roig. The British tennisstar is set to take on Japan's Ena Shibahara in the opening round of the US Open on Sunday.

Raducanu first announced her arrival in the sport at Flushing Meadows in 2021, when she shocked the world by claiming her first Grand Slam titleat just 18 years old. Since that remarkable victory, she's battled with injuries, form issues and coaching instability, cycling through seven mentors in just four years.

Most recently, Mark Petchey stepped down from his role as Raducanu's coach, allowing veteran tennis man Roig to enter her inner circle. The Spaniard boasts an incredibly successful partnership with Rafael Nadal, working with him throughout his stellar career that landed him 22 Grand Slam titles.

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Speaking to Sky Sports, Raducanu has opened up on how it's going with the 57-year-old, and what Roig does differently that is helping her find success. She said: "I think we get on really well. I think we fit great.

"He is so experienced, and we have been doing a lot of hours on the practice court, which I think has been helping me, and we both like spending time on the court, which is a good thing.

"But he also knows when to have fun and switch off, and that's important. It is not just constant seriousness. We work, but we also laugh."

Raducanu's partnership with Roig, which began in August, appears to be paying off already. Despite narrowly losing to world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open, the young tennis star has shown promising signs under Roig's guidance.

Discussing her decision to cancel her partnership with Petchey, she added: "After Wimbledon, we always knew it was going to be difficult to keep things going forward with his commitments and everything.

"After that, I just asked (agent) Jill (Smoller), who is looking after me, and I was like, 'Oh, do we have any more ideas?' Because ideally I wanted to come into the U.S. swing knowing I had someone in a coach. That's how it happened."

Raducanu's newfound positivity was further highlighted by her participation in the US Open mixed doubles tournament, where she teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz.

She enjoyed the experience so much that she's now urging Wimbledonto host a similar event following the "success" of the new format.

Despite losing her only match alongside five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz against fellow Brit Jack Draper and America's Jessica Pegula, Raducanu is keen to see mixed doubles introduced at the other three Grand Slams.

She said: "I think it would be so fun if all the Slams got involved and did something similar, even if it was not the exact same format. I think it was a huge success. I think so many fans got involved, so many people watched and tuned in."

Raducanu's first round showdown with Shibahara is due to get underway around 4pm UK time on Sunday afternoon.