Emma Raducanu enlists the help of ex-British No 1 Jeremy Bates to guide her through first outing since US Open glory at Indian Wells
- Emma Raducanu is lining-up for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells next week
- The teenager will make her first on-court appearance since her US Open triumph
- Ex-British No 1 Jeremy Bates is set to join her team for added coaching expertise
Emma Raducanu has turned to former British No 1 Jeremy Bates for coaching expertise during her first tournament since winning the US Open.
The Kent teenager has hooked up with Bates for the next fortnight’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California, having not renewed her two-month deal with coach Andrew Richardson after Flushing Meadows.
Bates confirmed to Sportsmail that he will be assisting Raducanu in conjunction with his work as the coach for Katie Boulter, and started on court with the New York champion on Saturday.
He and Raducanu know each other well, as he doubles as the Lawn Tennis Association’s national women’s coach. There appears little prospect that their arrangement will be anything other than temporary while she searches for someone more permanent.
Raducanu will have a bye in the first round so will not play until much later this week at the rescheduled event in the Californian desert, which was postponed from its usual date in March.
Cam Norrie will be entering it in fine form, having reached Sunday night’s final of the lead-in event, the San Diego Open.
Tennis star Emma Raducanu is preparing for BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells next week
Jeremy Bates (back) had been added to Raducanu’s team, the coach of fellow Brit Katie Boulter
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A post shared by Emma Raducanu (@emmaraducanu)
The British No 2 continued his stellar season when he followed up his win over Denis Shapovalov by knocking out world No 5 Andrey Rublev 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals.
Prior to the match Norrie had won 41 matches in 2021 and has rebounded impressively after his first-round defeat at the US Open.
British tennis is already celebrating the Raducanu effect after the Government announced that it will put £22million into renovating thousands of public courts up and down the country.
Emma Raducanu has made public appearances left and right but she’s due back on court
Bates was British No.1 in the late 1980’s and early 90’s and will assist Raducanu at Indian Wells
The figure spent will be more than £30m when a contribution from the LTA is added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the move as part of his levelling up agenda, just in time for the Conservative party conference. He cited Raducanu in saying: ‘Combining hard work, skill and determination, there is no limit to what young people can achieve.’
While it is undoubtedly a great result for British tennis, some may ask why the taxpayer should be financing the renovation of neglected tennis courts in the UK, given the profits made by Wimbledon which the governing body enjoys.
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