Emma Raducanu has engaged fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura as she aims to move beyond the injuries that have hindered her in recent years. Nakamura, 52, is a highly regarded physical trainer in the tennis world, having collaborated with Grand Slam winners and world No. 1s like Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. He was present at […]
Emma Raducanu has engaged fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura as she aims to move beyond the injuries that have hindered her in recent years.
Nakamura, 52, is a highly regarded physical trainer in the tennis world, having collaborated with Grand Slam winners and world No. 1s like Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. He was present at London’s National Tennis Centre on Friday, where Raducanu announced their partnership.
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“I believe I can become one of the top athletes in tennis,” she expressed to reporters. “I think he’s truly going to assist with that.”
Raducanu disclosed her discussions with Nakamura at the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga last month, during which she aided Great Britain in reaching the semifinals and secured her singles match despite a 2-1 loss to Slovakia. Nakamura will join Raducanu’s team in Brisbane on Thursday, December 12, where she plans to practice with her friend Priscilla Hon, the Australian player ranked No. 167. She will not compete in the WTA 500 Brisbane International, instead opting to spend Christmas in Auckland before entering the WTA 250 ASB Classic starting December 30.
Raducanu may also participate in the Adelaide International (from January 6) depending on qualification criteria and her success in New Zealand. The 2021 U.S. Open champion is currently ranked No. 59, a notable improvement from her ranking of No. 301 on January 1 last year.
She missed a significant portion of the 2023 season following double wrist surgery and managed to play only 13 events due to ongoing injuries. After opting out of the American hard-court swing and exiting the U.S. Open early, Raducanu sprained foot ligaments in her first tournament of the Asian hard-court season after intentionally scheduling her matches for that time of year. She returned to the court for the Billie Jean King Cup.
The 22-year-old is resolute in improving her fitness record and mentioned on Friday that Nakamura would be with her “almost every week.” He will be a fundamental part of her team, along with her coach Nick Cavaday.
GO DEEPEREmma Raducanu has done all-or-nothing tennis. Now, can she just play?
“I feel very strong,” Raducanu remarked, adding that “the only aspect I cannot comment on is that I haven’t played many matches.”
“It would be beneficial to see as the level increases, and if I need to compete back-to-back, how I will respond,” she stated.
Raducanu mentioned that she feels a connection with Nakamura due to their shared intensity during practice, with minimal “chitchat about other subjects.”
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“I believe he is going to help me determine how far I can go athletically. I think it’s a significant strength of mine that I have yet to fully realize,” she added.
Raducanu has faced challenges in maintaining her fitness for extended periods since winning the U.S. Open at the age of 18 three years ago; she is now eager to discover what she can achieve with a consistent string of matches. Fellow player Jack Draper experienced a similar stop-and-start journey leading up to last season, where he played his highest number of matches on tour and achieved his top results (U.S. Open semifinal, two ATP Tour titles) and world ranking (No. 15) to date.
The primary significant goal for Raducanu is the Australian Open, which kicks off on Sunday, January 12 in Melbourne.
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