Emma Raducanu has once more captured the attention of tennis enthusiasts worldwide for an extremely positive reason: following an outstanding performance at Billie Jean King Cup where she won all five of her matches, Raducanu proved her resilience after suffering multiple injuries throughout 2018. As she looks ahead to an upcoming season filled with plenty of challenges ahead, speculation about a potential new coach joining Raducanu’s squad has increased exponentially thanks to Naomi Cavaday, sister to current mentor Nick Cavaday (current coach for Raducanu).
Naomi Cavaday discussed the end of the WTA season during an appearance on Tennish podcast and confirmed that conversations are underway for fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura to join Raducanu’s coaching team from 2025 onwards. A formal agreement has yet to be concluded between him and Nick Raducanu; nonetheless conversations continue between Nick and Yutaka regarding this potential partnership between their coaching teams.
Naomi shared, “She is going to continue working with my brother as her coach, so Nick will be her coach in 2025.” She reflected on Raducanu’s journey with Nick, highlighting their strong partnership and Raducanu’s satisfaction with her current coaching arrangement. Nonetheless, Raducanu is also keen on collaborating with Nakamura, indicating a strategic move to bolster her team.
“I think she has been very happy with how things are going this season and is looking to build the team up. Things are looking good, and she has said the contract isn’t signed. Until the contract is signed, obviously, things can change, but at the moment everything looks very promising,” Naomi added, noting Nakamura’s visit to Florida to join Raducanu and Nick ahead of the BJK Cup for a training week.
Rumors of Raducanu’s potential partnership with Nakamura gained traction following reports by Telegraph Sport. Raducanu, however, has remained somewhat ambiguous about her team’s future composition. When questioned during the BJK Cup, she offered a cautiously optimistic perspective, expressing excitement for 2025 but confirming that discussions were still ongoing. Nakamura comes with an impressive resume, having worked with top athletes like Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, showcasing his capability to contribute significantly to Raducanu’s physical conditioning and overall performance.
Raducanu remains determined despite facing challenges, such as her surgeries and withdrawal from Korea Open because of a foot injury; nevertheless she made significant strides by progressing from No. 285 in World rankings to finishing 2011 as No. 58 overall.
“Excited and just itching” – Emma Raducanu’s Enthusiasm for Next Season
Raducanu’s recent successes have given her renewed motivation heading into next season despite an otherwise challenging campaign. While other athletes might take a break following tournament wins like her recent triumph at Wimbledon, Raducanu stated she plans on continuing without taking time off due to motivation from last tournament (Lancaster University Championship). She anticipates an excellent comeback under Nakamura joining their squad.