Emma Raducanu has made another change in her coaching staff, parting ways with her coach after only one match.
Her trial period with Vladimir ‘Vlado’ Platenik, intended to last three months, began at the Indian Wells Open. However, after she was defeated in the first round, their collaboration ended.
Platenik was not present in Raducanu’s corner at the Miami event this week, where she advanced to the second round with a strong 6-2, 6-1 victory against Sayaka Ishii of Japan.
This victory marked the first for the British No.1 at the Miami tournament on her third attempt. It was also her first win since dealing with a stalker incident at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month.
Raducanu, currently ranked No.60 in the world, is now seeking her eighth coach in her relatively short professional career since childhood friend Nick Cavaday stepped down earlier this year for health reasons.
Adding to the situation, Platenik had previously described coaching Raducanu as potentially “coaching suicide” in an interview in his home country. He mentioned turning down approaches from Raducanu’s father over the past few years before agreeing to the recent trial.
Platenik clarified that his initial hesitation stemmed from the pressure of coaching Raducanu after her unexpected success in 2021. However, he now believes she is in a different phase of her career, having already faced significant challenges.
The initial plan was for Raducanu and Platenik to use the months leading up to the French Open to build their partnership. However, after only two weeks and a single match, they have decided to go their separate ways.
Reportedly, the split was amicable, with both sides realizing a mismatch in their approach after limited time working together.
Emma Navarro, the American No.8 seed, is Raducanu’s next opponent in the second round as she aims to revitalize her season.
