British No. 2 chooses flexibility over formality as she reunites with longtime mentor Mark Petchey ahead of her Madrid Open return.

British tennis star Emma Raducanu has shelved plans to appoint a new full-time coach, instead opting to continue her informal partnership with veteran coach and broadcaster Mark Petchey.

Petchey, a familiar name in British tennis and a former coach to Andy Murray, joined Raducanu’s team on a casual basis during last month’s Miami Open. His presence appeared to pay dividends as the 22-year-old produced her best form of the season en route to the quarter-finals.

Following her strong run in Miami, Raducanu expressed interest in expanding Petchey’s role. However, his ongoing broadcasting commitments have made a full-time arrangement difficult. For now, the world No. 49 is content to keep the setup flexible.

“I’m happy with the set-up going forward right now – it’s been working well,” Raducanu said ahead of her return to action at the Madrid Open. “I like him a lot and I’ve known him since before the US Open. It’s nice to have familiar faces around.”

Petchey is expected to support Raducanu at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid as and when his schedule allows.

Raducanu has not had a full-time coach since January, when Nick Cavaday stepped down due to health reasons. A brief two-week trial with Slovakian coach Vladimir Platenik also came to an end just before Miami. Over the years, she has worked with a number of high-profile coaches, including Nigel Sears, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, and Andrew Richardson – the latter guiding her to her historic US Open title in 2021.

“We’re keeping things informal for now and it’s been working,” she said of her arrangement with Petchey. “He’s someone I’ve known for a long time and I do feel like I can trust him. There’s nothing set in stone – we’re taking it week by week.”

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Following her run in Miami, Raducanu opted out of Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie, choosing instead to focus on a short training block in Los Angeles. The move, she said, was designed to give her a mental and physical reset ahead of the clay season.

During her 10 days in California, Raducanu worked closely with Petchey, honing her game while also enjoying downtime through hiking and other recreational activities.

“We created our own little bubble and it was nice to be working on my game but at the same time having fun and enjoying it,” she said. “He’s helped me in a lot of areas of my game and also off the court – finding things to stimulate me mentally and constantly challenging me, which I like.”

In Madrid, Raducanu has continued her effort to maintain a healthy work-life balance, including attending yoga classes after practice sessions.

“I’m happy with how I’m feeling on the court right now,” she added. “I think I did some great work on my game and I’m looking forward to testing it on a match court.”

Raducanu will open her campaign in Madrid against Dutch qualifier Suzan Lamens in what will be her first match since falling to world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in Miami on March 27.

“I had a long start to the year with many weeks in a row, and I think my body and brain needed a little recharge,” Raducanu said. “With the transition to a different surface on clay, I feel I’m not at the point yet where I can switch surfaces in back-to-back weeks.”

As she steps onto the clay courts of Madrid, Raducanu appears refreshed, focused, and content with her evolving support system — even if it’s a little unconventional.