Former tennis champion Jim Courier has weighed in on Emma Raducanu’s form, stating that expectations for the Brit during the clay court season are notably low. Raducanu was recently eliminated from the Madrid Open, suffering a second-round defeat to Marta Kostyuk.
The 22-year-old has had a turbulent 2025 season so far but is hoping to turn things around with the help of former British Davis Cup captain Mark Petchey, who has recently joined her coaching team. While Raducanu and Petchey have worked together in the past, their previous collaboration was more informal than a structured coaching relationship.
Courier, a four-time Grand Slam winner, believes that Raducanu can use the upcoming clay season as an opportunity to develop her game without facing overwhelming pressure. Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Courier said:
“What I do hope is that it’s able to last at least through the grass-court season. No one’s expecting her to play well on clay; it’s not a natural surface for her.
Grass is a surface where she first surfaced; she made the round of 16 at Wimbledon before winning the US Open. So for me, it’s about the building blocks for the grass-court season.”
Courier also highlighted recent technical changes in Raducanu’s game, noting improvements in her service motion:
“What I do know already is he’s already changed her service motion by adding more shoulder turn there, which is designed to provide more disguise and a bit more power.
But I think overall this is a net positive for her on so many levels. We’ll see where it goes.”
Colin Fleming, a former doubles player, echoed Courier’s sentiments. Speaking to Sky Sports, Fleming observed noticeable changes in Raducanu’s serve since reuniting with Petchey:
“She’s gone back to her more natural service motion since working with Mark Petchey recently.
She did some work with Nick Cavaday to adjust her motion. She’s always had a natural, flowing, rhythmic service motion, but it became a bit more abbreviated under Cavaday’s coaching.
I understand why—they were trying to make the serve bigger and more impactful during matches. Now, it’s returned to that longer, flowing rhythm.”
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