‘You have a problem’ – Serena Williams’ former coach identifies huge mistake Emma Raducanu is making

Patrick Mouratoglou believes Emma Raducanu needs to put her trust in a coaching team for long-term success.

Mouratoglou is Serena Williams’ former coach and spent a decade in her corner, guiding the American to 10 Grand Slam titles.

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He has also coached some of the biggest stars in the game, including Naomi Osaka, Stefano Tsitsipas and Simona Halep.

2021 US Open winner Raducanu has faced huge scrutiny for chopping and changing her team since that victory at Flushing Meadow.

The 23-year-old’s current coach, Francisco Roig, is the ninth person to have held that post since her breakthrough at Wimbledon just months before winning her maiden Grand Slam.

For Mouratoglou, coaching consistency and building trust is the key to long-term success.

He joined The Sunday Edition on talkSPORT to speak to Henry Winter and Shaun Custis.

When asked what Emma Raducanu should do to get consistency, Mouratoglou said: “You are totally right. The average collaboration time between a player and a coach on the WTA Tour is six months, which is completely crazy if you think about it, because our job is to build a project for a player. 

“You don’t build a project in six months. And if you change your project every six months, you’re not going to go anywhere.

“So it’s a big key. If you look at all the top players, the very successful ones, they’ve been with the same team for four, five, six years, sometimes even more. So that’s definitely the key. 

“Players have to figure out who are the good people for them, and trust them for a longer period.

“The problem is, in a way, when you get rid of your coach, you’re basically saying, I’m not the one responsible for the results, that’s him. Which is probably the case too, because I think the responsibilities shared are the same. 

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“Our job also is to find a way to have our players be successful. So I always thought it was my responsibility, but I think it’s important that the player takes theirs.

“It’s about trusting a process. If you don’t trust the process and you question the process every time you have a problem, you’re not going to go very far.”

Raducanu recently pulled out of exhibition events in the United States, having ended her 2025 season early to focus on her fitness for 2026.

She is currently ranked 29th in the world and will be seeded for the Australian Open in January.

Emma Raducanu’s off-season

The British number one has taken a different approach to preparing for her 2026 season.

She has often spent Christmas away from home and been outside the UK for long spells.

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But she has been going back to her roots in south east London.

“I’m just so settled,” she told The Guardian. “I’ve barely been in the UK this year because I’ve been competing so much, but I think just spending really good quality time with my parents has been so nice. I have loved just being in Bromley.

“It just reminds me of when I was a younger kid and it’s the same bedroom, same everything.

“Bromley has some amazing speciality coffee shops now that didn’t exist a few years ago. And I’ve been trying every new spot. It’s been really nice, and obviously so much greenery, and it’s been fun actually.

“I’ve been commuting on the train. So I’ve been part of rush hour every day, which has also been an experience. But it’s like my switch off. As soon as I get on the South Western to Waterloo, I’m just like: ‘My day is done now.’”

Meanwhile, she also added her voice to the debate around the packed tennis schedule.

Many of the 1000 events, the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams, have turned into two-week-long affairs.

“I think that’s a challenge,” she says. “I don’t necessarily think it’s something to complain about because it’s what we are given. And we are making a great living as well. I mean it’s not all glamorous.

“There are definitely times when it’s very difficult and we are flagging mentally, physically, everything hurts. But at the same time what are we going to do about it? I am sure there are certain people who go to work and their bosses make them do something, but they have to do it, it’s their job.

“If we put up a front that isn’t complaining, I think that is a better example to the people watching, trying to get into tennis, the younger people. If they see all the top players moaning about the calendar, I don’t think that’s necessarily inspiring to look up to.”