Daily Times

INDIAN WELLS: British star Emma Raducanu plans to take her time before hiring a new coach as she returns for her first tournament since winning the US Open at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The 18-year-old, who stunned the tennis world at the US Open after becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title, parted company with coach Andrew Richardson following her victory in New York. Raducanu will be assisted by former professional Jeremy Bates at the ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament in the California desert this week, but is still looking for a permanent coach. Bates, the former British No.1, is the head of women’s tennis at the sport’s British governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association. “Jeremy is part of women’s tennis at the LTA and while he’s here he can help me out,” Raducanu said Tuesday.

“But going forwards I’m just going to try and find the right person. I’m not going to rush into anything. I want to make sure that I make the right decision.” Raducanu believes that for the time being, she will more than capable of being her own coach during matches. “I’m quite confident,” she said. “I know that even though I’m quite young, I’ve got a lot of experience banked. And at the end of the day you’re out there on your own and you have to be your own coach on the court. I’m just looking for the general things in a coach — someone that you get along with well and someone who can push you.” Raducanu’s life has been transformed since her victory at the US Open, which catapulted the youngster into the public eye as the new darling of British tennis. However the teenager says she is not letting the fame go to her head, and does not plan to change her approach to tournaments.