Francis Roig has a new client…

The 57-year-old Spanish retired professional tennis player, who once coach Rafael Nadal, has joined Emma Raducanu’s coaching team on a full-time basis ahead of this month’s US Open.

Raducanu, the 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows, has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results.

However, Petchey’s TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu’s full-time coach, and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week after he agreed to a contract until the end of 2025.

Raducanu has struggled to settle with a coach in recent years until her part-time work with Petchey started to pay dividends earlier this season.

A WTA 1000 quarterfinal showing at the Miami Open in March was followed by a round-of-16 run at the Italian Open before she made the last eight in the first women’s tournament at Queen’s Club.

Aryna Sabalenka proved too strong for Raducanu in Round 3 at Wimbledon, but this was backed up by a semifinal at the Citi Open as the British No. 1 targets being seeded at the US Open later this month.

Roig was primarily a doubles player, winning nine ATP World Tour titles and reaching 12 more finals.

After his playing retirement, he acted as the alternate coach of Nadal from 2005 until 2022. He was the coach of Matteo Berrettini from December 2023 until October 2024.