US Open champion Emma Raducanu hopes the experience of her new coach will help her build on what has been a breakthrough year for the British teenager.
The 18-year-old has officially appointed Torben Beltz to her team after the two were spotted talking together in London earlier in the week. Beltz is a familiar face in women’s tennis after working with Angelique Kerber in three separate stints with the most recent of them ending just this month. He was the coach who guided Kerber to her first Grand Slam title, as well as overseeing her rise to world No.1. He has also worked with Croatia’s Donna Vekic.
Speaking about her collaboration with the 44-year-old for the first time on Tuesday, Raducanu said she was ‘excited’ to be working with somebody who has a wealth of experience. The world No.20 made her WTA Tout debut back in June at the Nottingham Open. Besides her historic US Open triumph where she became the first qualifier in history to win a major title, she has experienced mixed fortunes on the Tour.
“It’s obviously a great privilege to be working with such an experienced coach,” Raducanu told reporters.
“I’m definitely very excited to work with him throughout the pre-season and into next year. I’m feeling excited about all the work that is to come.
“I think he brings a lot of experience. Obviously he’s worked with Kerber, who’s such a great player and has done extremely well, won three slams. I think that experience definitely helps with someone as inexperienced as me.
“He can help guide me through, which I feel really confident about, and also he’s a really positive, cheerful guy who brings great energy to the team so I think that’s also important when you’re travelling on the road for quite a long time on the tour.”
Raducanu’s season came to an end on Tuesday after she lost in the second round of the Linz Open to China’s Wang Xinyu in three sets. Since claiming her first Grand Slam, the Brit has won two out of five matches played. Both of those victories were last week in Romania against Polona Hercog and Ana Bogdan.
Reflecting on her unprecedented rise in the sport within such a short period of time, Raducanu admits that she is still trying to get used to the demanding schedule of the Tour. Within the past month she has played in three different countries across two separate continents.
“A lot has happened this year,” she said. “Where I was in January, February, March, I would have taken it. I have learnt how much room I have to develop physically and what playing on the tour week in, week out actually needs because clearly my body is still trying to get up to speed. I was honestly quite happy with the level I put out and tried to fight back.”
The youngster, who will turn 19 on Saturday, now intends to take some time away before starting her pre-season training with Beltz.
Raducanu’s season timeline
January: Did not play
February: Began the season by playing on the ITF Tour. Lost in the first round of a W25 event in Glasgow but reached the final of another event in Sunderland a week later.
March–May: Did not play
June: Made her WTA Tour debut at the Nottingham Open where she lost her opening match to Harriet Dart. She then played a $100,000 event in the same city where she reached the quarter-finals.
July: As a wildcard Raducanu stunned the field at Wimbledon by reaching the fourth round in what was her first ever Grand Slam tournament.
August: Lost in first round of the San Diego Open to Zhang Shuai before going on to have success in a couple lower level tournaments in America. At an ITF $100,000 event in Landisville she reached the quarter-finals and then reached the final of a WTA 125 tournament in Chicago.
September: at the US Open Raducanu came through qualifying to win the biggest title of her career. She won 10 matches in a row without dropping a set, defeating players such as Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari.
October: In her first tournament since New York, she lost her opening match at the BNP Paribas Open to Aliaksandra Sasnovich. In her next tournament at the Transylvania Open she fared better with a run to the last eight.
November: The top seed in Linz, Raducanu lost in the second round to China’s Wang Xinyu in what was her last match of the season. Names Torben Beltz as her new coach.
