Coco Gauff's former coach weighs in on Emma Raducanu's latest appointment

Brad Gilbert has made a blunt statement about Emma Raducanu's latest coaching appointment. The British No.1 has confirmed the appointment of Francis Roig, who previously spent 17 years assisting Rafa Nadal, until the end of 2025.

The British No.1 had been without a full-time mentor since Nick Cavaday stepped aside for health reasons in January. Following his departure, a trial period with Vladimir Platenik ended after just two weeks, and she has since been working with Mark Petchey on a part-time basis. That has sparked an upturn in form for the 22-year-old, who last month made the final four of the Citi Open in Washington, her first semi-final since her 2021 US Open win.

Andrew Richardson was in charge during her remarkable run at Flushing Meadows. However, she opted to part ways with her compatriot straight after the tournament, citing the need for a coach with vast WTA Tour experience.

Since then, she's had a string of failed appointments, something Gilbert seemingly noted when he reacted to the Roig news on social media. Alongside a praying emoji, he wrote: "Let's see how it goes, hopefully it lasts."

Sign up here to receive all the latest tennis and Wimbledon news straight to your inbox.

Gilbert, 63, is one of the game's most renowned coaches. He famously coached Andre Agassi to six of his eight Grand Slam titles, and has also worked with the likes of Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, and Coco Gauff.

Roig, 57, served on Nadal's coaching staff from 2005 through to 2022. He later spent 10 months in charge of Matteo Berrettini, and his first assignment since the appointment will be Raducanu's Cincinnati Open campaign this week.

Ahead of the tournament, she lauded the partnership, telling Sky Sports: "He's obviously got a bank of experience and I'm very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side."

Raducanu is playing in Cincinnati for the first time since 2022. After receiving a first-round bye, she'll face British rival Katie Boulter or Serb Olga Danilovic in her opening match.

For all the latest tennis and Wimbledon news you can join our WhatsApp community here.