Emma Raducanu: Sue Barker warns approach to coaching could be "disruptive"

Emma Raducanu’s coaching dilemma seems to be something of a head-scratcher for many, including Sue Barker.

The former French Open champion has compared the early days of her career to the British number one’s current situation.

Raducanu is currently working with Dmitry Tursunov, having parted ways with three mentors in the space of just ten months.

The 19-year-old has been working with Tursunov since the summer, after bringing him onto the team to help guide her through the American leg of the WTA Tour.

With Raducanu now back in Europe following a disappointing exit from the US Open, the Russian is still working with her, but she is yet to confirm whether he is her new full-time coach.

Raducanu made her WTA Tour debut in June last year, and since then she has axed three mentors without spending particularly long with any of them.

After appointing Nigel Sears in April 2021, she swapped him out for Andrew Richardson just three months later, following her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon.

The teen had turned a lot of heads after reaching the fourth round of her first major tournament and bringing in her former youth coach paid off in dividends.

Just two months later, Raducanu made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title when she stormed through her maiden US Open without dropping a single set.

But despite her success under Richardson, she opted not to extend their arrangement.

Raducanu assigned Angelique Kerber’s former coach Torben Beltz in November but his stint as her mentor was also short-lived. The two parted ways after five months together and the LTA stepped in to support in the interim.

Barker’s experience with coaches was different to Raducanu. She stressed how much she would listen to