Getty Images Russell Fuller Tennis correspondent 6 December 2024 Emma Raducanu has begun collaborating with Yutaka Nakamura, the fitness coach renowned for his associations with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. The 22-year-old plans to travel to Brisbane next week to engage in warm weather training before the start of the upcoming season. She mentions that […]
Emma Raducanu has begun collaborating with Yutaka Nakamura, the fitness coach renowned for his associations with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka.
The 22-year-old plans to travel to Brisbane next week to engage in warm weather training before the start of the upcoming season. She mentions that Nakamura will be with her “almost every week” throughout the year.
Injuries have consistently hindered Raducanu’s progress since she captured the US Open title as a teenager in 2021.
However, after a trial period earlier this autumn, she believes now is the ideal moment to bring a dedicated fitness coach onto her team.
“I feel he is going to assist me in really understanding how far I can push my limits, athletically,” Raducanu expressed.
“I see it as a major asset of mine that I have not yet fully realized. I believe I can become one of the top athletes in tennis, and I’m excited to discover the extent of my abilities.
“My innate athleticism is something I need to utilize. I must develop it, refine it; it’s still quite unpolished and far from fully realized, so he will help me explore those possibilities.”
Nakamura has been working alongside Raducanu and her coach Nick Cavaday at the National Tennis Centre in London this entire week.
Following Christmas in New Zealand, Raducanu will commence her season in Auckland at the end of December and also aims to compete in Adelaide before the Australian Open starts on 12 January.
