Emma Raducanu’s two secret weapons that can propel Brit to 2026 success | Tennis | Sport

Emma Raducanu’s 2025 season might have ended on a sour note when she picked up an illness during the Asian swing and pulled out of her last two tournaments for health reasons, but it’s been a strong year for the British No. 1 overall. Raducanu played 50 matches this year – her most in a single season – winning 28 of them.

The 23-year-old reached the semi-finals of the WTA 500 event in Washington and reached a maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final in Miami. Having started the year ranked outside the world’s top 60, Raducanu now sits at No. 29 in the world and is primed to be seeded at the Australian Open.

Now, retired British tennis stars Tim Henman and Laura Robson believe the former US Open champion looks primed to have an even bigger and better 2026, with two important things going in her favour.

Raducanu has already agreed to with with Spanish coach Francisco Roig, one of Rafael Nadal’s old mentors, going into the 2026 season. Roig joined her camp over the summer after an ad-hoc partnership with Mark Petchey came to an end.

They saw immediate results when Raducanu pushed world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tight three-set defeat in Cincinnati, and are now planning a pre-season training block in Barcelona. And Henman is glad to see an experienced and trusted figure in Raducanu’s corner.

“She’s moving in the right direction and I think we all would have agreed in the past she needs consistency and continuity. Having [coach] Francisco Roig in her corner. They have really looked like building a good partnership and I’m excited that is continuing through into 2026. He has huge experience,” he told Sky Sports.

Robson, meanwhile, was struck by Raducanu’s new relaxed approach. The Brit became an overnight superstar when she won the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier. But she struggled to find her form in the years after, while persistent injuries and three surgeries also kept her sidelined.

Now, the 23-year-old seems at home on the tennis tour. She’s loving the grind, but she’s also been enjoying her downtime while on tour, whether it’s hiking in Los Angeles, taking a yoga class, or hitting the golf course. And Robson is hoping that Raducanu can keep laidback attitude in 2026.

“I can’t imagine how much pressure it felt like for a while there with everyone expecting you to have the same kind of results. It’s very, very difficult to back it up when you’re healthy, let alone somebody who’s coming back from injury woes,” the 2012 Olympic silver medallist said.

“It’s something that we saw at the US Open. It feels like she’s a bit more relaxed. She played a bit of golf in New York and just enjoying her time on the court, which is by far the most important thing. You forget how young she is.”