Mark Petchey, Emma Raducanu’s former coach, has shared his concerns about the Brit’s tennis during her 2025 Australian Open campaign, admitting for the first time that he “didn’t really like” what he saw from her on court.
Petchey, who once held the title of British No 1 and now works as a tennis commentator, pointed out that Raducanu’s serve seemed technically “awkward” during her matches in Melbourne. Raducanu managed to grind out tough victories over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova in her opening rounds but was then dominated 6-1, 6-0 by world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the third round.
The 2021 US Open champion struggled with her serve throughout the tournament, being broken a staggering 16 times and committing 24 double faults across the six sets she played. Her second serve was particularly weak, as she won just 30% of points on it against Alexandrova and a mere 23% against Swiatek.
Raducanu’s serving woes continued into the Singapore Open, where she suffered a three-set loss to Cristina Bucsa in the first round. In that match, Raducanu hit seven double faults, lost serve nine times, and won only 24% of points on her second serve. In the deciding set, she twice held a break lead but was broken four times, managing to win just one of 13 second serve points (8%).
Reflecting on her performance in Australia, Petchey expressed concern about Raducanu’s game, particularly her serving technique. “I’ve always been super positive with Emma,” he said, “but I was worried when she first won the US Open about what might happen afterwards. Let’s leave that behind now.” However, he admitted, “For the first time, I would say that when I watched her in Australia and she made it to the third round, I didn’t really like her tennis. And that’s the first time I can honestly say that.”
Petchey attributed some of Raducanu’s struggles to the physical side of her game, suggesting that a lack of match play has been a factor in her inconsistency. But he singled out her serve as his “biggest concern.” “I don’t particularly like how her serve looks technically. From round one, it looked a little awkward, and I’ve never thought that about her game before,” Petchey explained.
He went on to stress the mental challenge of overcoming serving issues, saying, “It very quickly becomes a mental battle. If you lose confidence in your serve, particularly in such a vital shot, it can become a real problem. It’s the most important shot in tennis, and you don’t want to lose confidence in it for too long.”
As Raducanu continues to evolve as a player, Petchey’s concerns highlight the delicate balance between technical execution and mental fortitude, especially when it comes to a shot as crucial as the serve. Whether she can find a solution to these issues and return to her best remains to be seen.