Coach Vladimir Platenik understands Emma Raducanu’s decision to part ways with him and says the British star has been “feeling stressed”.
Raducanu is back on the search for another new coach after working with Platenik for just two weeks before ending their trial period together.
It comes after the 2021 US Open champion suffered a first-round defeat to Moyuka Uchijima at Indian Wells.
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Raducanu reflects on her win over Sayaka Ishii at the Miami Open
“I totally understand Emma, she’s not in an easy position. The world is looking at her after the US Open and everybody is expecting, including herself, what she is going to do next,” Platenik told BBC Sport.
“So for me it’s absolutely understandable that she’s under a lot of pressure. She told me she was feeling stressed.
“There are no hard feelings from my side. She finished the relationship in a fair way, maybe too quickly, but this is tennis, this is sport. We need to respect that.
“She was not feeling OK, and that was her decision. I didn’t want to go into deeper communication about that. I think the player needs to feel good, and the player needs to make a decision. Sometimes you make a good decision, and sometimes bad.”
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Highlights of Raducanu’s first-round match against Moyuka Uchijima at Indian Wells
Coaching changes have become something of a theme in Raducanu’s career, though the 22-year-old did appear to have found some stability alongside Nick Cavaday having appointed him ahead of the 2024 Australian Open before he stepped aside for health reasons at the start of 2025. She has not had a permanent coach since.
Raducanu returned to winning ways this week when she coasted to a 6-2 6-1 victory over Japanese wild card Sayaka Ishii in the first round of the Miami Open.
She faces eighth-seed Emma Navarro in the second round on Friday, live on Sky Sports Tennis.
In a previous interview with Slovak newspaper Dennik N, Platenik noted how Raducanu had also approached him in the wake of her US Open triumph, while underlining his belief that working with her “could be coaching suicide”.
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Raducanu said she was happy to make her return at Indian Wells after the stalking ordeal she suffered at the Dubai Championships
“Emma is stressed also about the newspaper article, so the agent made this comment: ‘It’s maybe a little bit unfortunate, but I’m not angry’,” he added.
“I’m always saying the truth, because tennis is an honest sport.
“I was always honest, maybe I was too honest and a lot of players and parents and people around players don’t like it, but tennis is an honest sport.”
Miami Open schedule
Friday March 21: Men’s and women’s second round
Saturday March 22: Men’s second round/women’s third round
Sunday March 23: Men’s and women’s third round
Monday March 24: Men’s third round/women’s fourth round
Tuesday March 25: Women’s quarter-finals/men’s fourth round
Wednesday March 26: Men’s and women’s quarter-finals
Thursday March 27: Women’s semi-finals/men’s quarter-finals
Friday March 28: Men’s semi-finals
Saturday March 29: Women’s final
Sunday March 30: Men’s final
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