Emma Raducanu's new coach believes that after 'going through hell' is the right time for her to realize her potential.
Vladimir 'Vado' Platenik, who joined Raducanu here in Indian Wells and will work with her through the France Open, has revealed that he was offered the work twice before, but both times he committed himself to another player. The first occasion was shortly after Raducanu won the Open of US 2021, a work that Platenik said previously would have been 'suicide training'.
“A young player took off with a great result and then has difficulties,” said the 49 -year -old woman to the newspaper Slovak Daily Dennik N. “His environment and the public hopes he repeats those results. Maybe 30 percent of the players fall from the top 100 in a season after their first great result. Names like Hingis, Capriathi, Bencic also fought.
'The pressure is huge. Emma approached me just after a great success, so I said it could be suicide. But now it is in a completely different position.
Raducanu has certainly had its fair part of channels after that rising beak, with ankle and wrist surgeries, six coaches and, more recently, the horrible test of harassment in the Middle East.
“She has already gone through hell, has already gone through the worst,” Platenik said. “Today is more mature than with the previous offers: the time has come to try it.”
Emma Raducanu has been associated with coach Vladimir 'Vlalen' Platenik by trial
Platenik joined Raducanu in Indian Wells and will work with her through the France Open
The Slovaco twice rejected Raducanu's coach, even once after his victory at the United States Open
Until the eve of Indian Wells Platenik was working with Lulu Sun, the New Zealander who beat Raducanu in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year. Sun abruptly, but friendly, he finished his association.
“The Raducanu family had contacted me and asked me if I could recommend a coach,” reveals Platenik. 'I recommended a name that I will keep.
“However, when Lulu ended, I wrote to Emma's father, Ian, to ask if they had someone, since he knew that his interest in me was more long term. His father replied that they had no one and would like to try to work with me.
It is an interesting detail that shows that Ian Raducanu is still closely involved in the management of his daughter's career.
Platenik's appointment represents the turn of a new page. Raducanu's defeat against Moyuka Uchijima of Japan in the first round in Indian Wells on Thursday was his fifth defeat in six games since the trusted coach Nick Cavaday resigned due to health problems after Australia's open.
Platenik has only worked with Raducanu for a couple of days, but is optimistic about alchemy among them.
“I was surprised by the symbiosis we had,” he said. 'She was very committed to the first training session, everything went in a good mood and was satisfied with the two or three tips I gave her. I felt very good after that training session.
'I see Emma as a talented player that I want to help reach her maximum without thinking about what happened in the past. I have a good feeling on her, although we will only train for a short time. I like her to communicate well and ask me for my opinion. This is what often strange in tennis players. Many expect you to dictate what they should do. However, I prefer to work with tennis players like Emma, who show themselves. '
Platenik had trained Lulu Sun, until the Neozylandro abruptly finished his association
Platenik has highlighted Raducanu's will to communicate and offer his own opinions
The Slovaco has highlighted Raducanu's service and right as areas that require improvement
This is a significant green flag that suggests that Raducanu has made a strong decision. She is a demanding player in the sense that, similar to Andy Murray, she will not take the advice of her coaches as a gospel, wanting to interrogate the advice for the reasons behind him. It seems that this will fit well with the way Platenik likes to operate.
'I really like it because they approach tennis differently from 95 percent of the players I have trained. She wants to learn, wants to communicate. We sat for an hour and a half watching a video of her next opponent and she kept asking me: “Vado, what do you think of this?” 95 percent of players have nothing like this, I always had to encourage them to do it. “
Platenik already has a great sense of what areas of his game they require an improvement.
'She moves very well. She needs to work in her service and right. Not only technically but also tactically, so that she can maintain the pressure, “he says. 'She plays very well for her height, is explosive in her movements. Sometimes she releases the pressure and makes the wrong decisions in terms of positioning when hitting and loses pressure unnecessarily.
'I see Emma as a talented player that I want to help reach her maximum without thinking about what happened in the past. I have a good feeling about her.
'It does not seem to be complacent at all. She has her feet firmly on the ground: she did not fly after the Grand Slam title.
'Many players who are 80 years old in the world and behave a thousand times worse. They are often arrogant; Emma talks to everyone and is smiling. I am very satisfied with your approach, both humanly and professionally.