'He fixes what needs fixing' - why Raducanu turned to Nadal's ex-coach

Emma Raducanu has hired a new coach.

It is a sentence which we have heard several times since the 22-year-old Briton emerged from nowhere to win the 2021 US Open title as a teenage qualifier.

But the appointment of Francisco Roig – a wily Spaniard who helped Rafael Nadal win all of his 22 Grand Slam titles - feels like a longer-term bet as Raducanu looks to continue her upward trajectory.

Going into next week's US Open - their second tournament together - the world number 35 is hoping Roig can take her even higher.

"Francis is the best coach I worked with by far," former Spanish number two Feliciano Lopez, who worked with Roig for several years, told BBC Sport.

"He's patient but also demanding. He will push you until whatever he thinks needs fixing is fixed."

Everyone you speak to about the 57-year-old Catalan says the same thing early in the conversation – that his technical knowledge is unparalleled.

Shortly after he stopped working with Lopez, Roig linked up with Nadal in 2005 as a second coach behind his uncle Toni and helped the swashbuckling left-hander become an all-time great.

When Roig left the team in 2022 for a different challenge, former world number one Nadal hailed the former ATP Tour player for making him "better and better".

"Francis is a very good coach and a man who can help Raducanu to improve technically - he puts a lot of attention on this," Toni Nadal told BBC Sport.

"In today's game every player hits the ball very fast. But in the end tennis is about power and control - when you hit the ball fast without a good technique it is difficult to put five or six balls inside the court in a row.

"This is what Francis explains to players. I think he can help Raducanu to become a very good tennis player again."

Having missed the bulk of the 2023 season following operations on wrist and ankle injuries, Raducanu has steadily rebuilt her career.

The revolving door of new coaches has slowed down and another full-time appointment was always a priority after Nick Cavaday stepped back in January because of health reasons.

Since Mark Petchey plugged the gap on an informal basis in March, Raducanu has reached a WTA semi-final in Washington, plus the Miami and Queen's quarter-finals.

Looking relaxed and happy, she has climbed back to the cusp of the world's top 30 and played some of her best tennis since that memorable fortnight in New York four years ago.

Now Raducanu feels Roig can add another layer to complement the increasing resilience she has discovered this year.

"I can definitely improve on the quality of a lot of my shots," Raducanu said.

"I've been good at being creative, scrapping, playing the big points well, but the overall quality of my game needs to be better."

Lopez says Roig achieves that by using unique coaching drills, which are "practical" and "specific", with his players.

That comes after he identifies technical issues by observation rather than the need for forensic video analysis.

"His eyes are special," close friend Jordi Vilaro, who has known Roig for more than 40 years and co-owns the BTT Academy in Barcelona with him, told BBC Sport.

"He can see things other coaches can't see in a 1000th of a second - they maybe need video or slow motion.

"Every player who trains with him for an hour plays better tennis. Win or lose is another thing, but they hit the ball better and cleaner."

With Petchey making it clear he was unwilling to sacrifice his role as a television commentator to coach on a full-time basis, Raducanu continued to assess her options.

Roig's availability came to attention over the summer and the pair worked together in a covert trial following Wimbledon.

Raducanu likes to learn and once put her high turnover of coaches down to asking "provoking" questions. She found Roig's sessions to be stimulating, challenging and instantly encouraging.

"Francis is very passionate for tennis," said Vilaro.

"What's amazing is he can watch a match on TV and he doesn't care about the result - he's checking how they are moving, the positioning and how they are hitting the ball. He's watching many specific things.

"When we created the academy he said, 'I want to do it but I don't want any paperwork. I just want to be on the court'. The court is his passion."

Raducanu has already impressed Roig with her work ethic.

In his first tournament at the helm, the pair had multiple daily practices at the Cincinnati Open, where she confidently breezed past Serbia's Olga Danilovic before – more notably – pushing world number one Aryna Sabalenka to her limit.

While Raducanu fell short of a shock, it was a promising performance which provides optimism for the US Open.

"I spoke to Francis after Raducanu beat Danilovic and before she played Sabalenka," said Vilaro.

"He said, 'It's amazing, I like working with this player a lot because she loves to be on court. We spent two hours training the return, the return plus second shot and what to do when the opponent attacks'.

"He enjoyed it a lot. The most important thing for him is having a player who loves being on court - and it looks like this is the case."

In the early part of her career, Raducanu became infamous for hiring and firing a string of full-time coaches.

Over the past two years, working with a tight-knit group - led by people she trusts in Cavaday and Petchey - has been a better blend.

Raducanu did not fare well with outsiders entering the inner circle after her US Open title and it feels like building a strong bond with Roig will be imperative to a successful future.

"Francis is a very good person, he is a man who you can be relaxed with and he is funny," Toni Nadal said.

"It is important when you are with someone with a good character, I think that is much better.

"But to change someone who used to do one thing is difficult. What I explain to the players - I explain simple - is that if you are happy with your level and ranking don't change anything.

"If you are not happy then you have to change something - something emotional, tactical or technical.

"But normally you need a little time and I think Raducanu has to give a little time to Francis."

Judging by the smiles in a mixed doubles practice session with Carlos Alcaraz and his team at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, Raducanu and Roig look at ease in each other's company.

The pair have already spent lots of time together in Cincinnati, where long road trips to the tournament saw Roig taking driving duties.

Lopez still described Roig as one of his "best buddies", while Roig's bond with Nadal led to the pair going fishing and playing golf and football together away from the court.

"There are a lot of things which great coaches need to have - to be good technically, a good psychologist and a good person," added Lopez.

"He has got all these qualities."