'He fixes what needs fixing' - Emma Raducanu on why she turned to Nadal's ex-coach
British tennis star Emma Raducanu has hired a new coach.
It is a sentence which we have heard several times since the 22-year-old Briton emerged from nowhere to win the 2021 US Open title as a teenage qualifier.
But the appointment of Francisco Roig – a wily Spaniard who helped Rafael Nadal win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles - feels like a longer-term bet as Raducanu looks to continue her upward trajectory.
Going into next week's US Open - their second tournament together - the world number 35 is hoping Roig can take her even higher.
"Francis is the best coach I worked with by far," former Spanish number two Feliciano Lopez, who was guided by Roig for several years, told BBC Sport.
"He's patient but also demanding. He will push you until whatever he thinks needs fixing is fixed."
What can Roig provide?
Everyone you speak to about the 57-year-old Catalan says the same thing early in the conversation – that his technical knowledge is unparalleled.
Shortly after he stopped working with Lopez, Roig linked up with Nadal in 2005 as a second coach behind his uncle Toni and helped the swashbuckling left-hander become an all-time great.
When Roig left the team in 2022 for a different challenge, former world number one Nadal hailed the one-time ATP Tour player for making him "better and better".
"Francis is a very good coach and a man who can help Raducanu to improve technically - he puts a lot of attention on this," Toni Nadal told BBC Sport.
"In today's game every player hits the ball very fast. But in the end tennis is about power and control - when you hit the ball fast without a good technique it is difficult to put five or six balls inside the court in a row.
"This is what Francis explains to players. I think he can help Raducanu to become a very good tennis player again."
Having missed the bulk of the 2023 season following operations on wrist and ankle injuries, Raducanu has steadily rebuilt her career.
The revolving door of new coaches has slowed down and another full-time appointment was always a priority after Nick Cavaday stepped back in January because of health reasons.
How's the partnership going so far?
With Petchey making it clear he was unwilling to sacrifice his role as a television commentator to coach on a full-time basis, Raducanu continued to assess her options.
Roig's availability came to attention over the summer and the pair worked together in a covert trial following Wimbledon.
Raducanu likes to learn and once put her high turnover of coaches down to asking "provoking" questions. She found Roig's sessions to be stimulating, challenging and instantly encouraging.
"Francis is very passionate for tennis," said Vilaro.
"What's amazing is he can watch a match on TV and he doesn't care about the result - he's checking how they are moving, the positioning and how they are hitting the ball. He's watching many specific things.
"When we created the academy he said, 'I want to do it but I don't want any paperwork. I just want to be on the court'. The court is his passion."
Raducanu has already impressed Roig with her work ethic.
In his first tournament at the helm, the pair had multiple daily practices at the Cincinnati Open, where she confidently breezed past Serbia's Olga Danilovic before – more notably – pushing world number one Aryna Sabalenka to her limit.
While Raducanu fell short of a shock, it was a promising performance which provides optimism for the US Open.
"I spoke to Francis after Raducanu beat Danilovic and before she played Sabalenka," said Vilaro.
"He said, 'It's amazing, I like working with this player a lot because she loves to be on court. We spent two hours training the return, the return plus second shot and what to do when the opponent attacks'.
"He enjoyed it a lot. The most important thing for him is having a player who loves being on court - and it looks like this is the case."
