Raducanu hoping Sachs is missing piece in the jigsaw as she plots successful 2023

The 20-year-old is working with the German on trial until the end of the year

AI / Reuters / Panoramic

December 18, 2022

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu says she hopes Sebastian Sachs can be the man to inspire her to success in 2023.

The 20-year-old, who endured a tough 2022 after her stunning breakthrough at the 2021 US Open, has hired Sachs on a trial basis, making him her fifth coach in the past 18 months.

The Briton, now ranked 76, said she was hopeful Sachs – a German who most recently worked with Belinda Bencic – could help her make the next step in her career.

“We are trialling until the end of the year and just seeing how it goes really,” AFP reported her as saying after her narrow defeat by Ons Jabeur in the Mubadala exhibition event.

“It’s been going well. I’ve done a week with him so far and I think he’s a really calm influence. He’s on it, switched on, and yeah, I’m excited to see how it goes.”

مع السلامة abu dhabi, hopefully see you again next year!! maybe on the other side of the 🎥😝…& with less of a toe kick😙a busy but fun week #inabudhabi pic.twitter.com/ARQzcUHuHl
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) December 17, 2022

Less is more for Raducanu

Raducanu, who was due to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, says she’s fit again after wrist trouble but admitted that she had maybe done too much work on the court in the past.

“I really obviously want to work hard, try to get back on court as much as possible but I could overdo it if I didn’t really think it through because I want to be back on court so much,” she said. “I just need to maybe cut down a little bit on the hours sometimes.”

Briton aiming for a title in 2023

The US Open was Raducanu’s first title of any kind on the WTA Tour and she would like to add to it in 2023, instead of worrying about how much time she had in her legs.

“I want to be able to go out there and just focus on the tennis. I think this year I’m in a better position but it’s still going to take some time to develop fully. “I think my goal in 2023 is probably to win a title.”