Jim Courier explains why 'nobody is expecting Emma Raducanu to play well'

Former tennis star Jim Courier has revealed that there are low expectations for Emma Raducanu heading into the clay season. The Brit has kickstarted her campaign on the surface with a second-round defeat to Marta Kostyuk at the Madrid Open. The 22-year-old has endured a shaky 2025 so far but hopes that the addition of former British Davis Cup Mark Petchey to her coaching team will spark some improvement.

The pair have previously worked together and enjoyed success, but that partnership was dubbed as ‘informal’ rather than having a professional agreement in place. However, four-time Grand Slam champion Courier believes that Raducanu now has the chance to continue attempting to develop with Petchey without too much pressure as she is about to spend weeks on the clay, a surface she has struggled on previously. Speaking on the Tennis Channel , Courier said: "What I do hope is that it’s able to last at least through the grass-court season.



No one’s expecting her to play well on clay, it’s not a natural surface for her. “Grass is a surface where she first surfaced, she made the round 16 before she won the US Open at Wimbledon so for me, it’s about the building blocks for the grass-court season. “What I do know already is he’s already changed her service motion by adding more shoulder turn there which is the idea is to try and give her a little bit more disguise and a little more power.

But I think overall this is a net positive for her on so many levels, we’ll see where it goes.” Former doubles star Colin Fleming also feels that Raducanu’s serve has already improved noticeably since Petchey returned to her team. The pair previously worked together during the Covid period.

He told Sky Sports: “She’s gone back to her more natural service motion since working with Mark Petchey recently. She has done a bit of work with Nick Cavaday [former coach] on adjusting the motion. She’s always had a natural, flowing rhythmic service motion, and it became a bit more abbreviated with the work under Cavaday.

I understand why! Trying to get the serve bigger, more impactful during matches. It’s back to that longer, flowing rhythm.”.