Emma Raducanu has split with her coach, Nick Cavaday, while Andy Murray’s partnership with Novak Djokovic remains up in the air.
Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray hold a mutual respect for one another
As Emma Raducanu splits from coach Nick Cavaday, joining forces with Andy Murray after Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open retirement remains on the table. Murray, who called time on his career after the Paris Olympics last summer, currently has an uncertain future.
As Murray and Djokovic’s partnership remains up in the air, the Scotsman will naturally be linked with his fellow Brit. His past comments and the youngster’s admiration certainly make this appear a viable collaboration.
Raducanu’s search for a seventh full-time coach since 2021 begins now after Cavaday, who had been with her for 14 months, revealed he must return home to manage a chronic health condition. “I am very happy to have been able to work with Emma over the last 14 months,” he said. “At this moment in time, it’s important for me to spend some more time at home and prioritise getting back to full health, which is hard to do with the extensive calendar.”
This comes at quite a crucial time, as Murray’s current client, Djokovic, has only just suffered a muscular injury that saw him bow out his semi-final at Rod Laver Arena against Alexander Zverev after a single set. Djokovic’s ailment has thrown a spanner into already delicate works: the coaching relationship between himself and Murray.
Said partnership was to be revised after the Australian Open, but doubts about whether the 37-year-old Serbian will even return to the game now place a greater strain on it. “I don’t know. There is a chance,” Djokovic replied when asked if the semi-final was his last-ever match at the Grand Slam.
Murray and Djokovic’s partnership could soon end
“Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going. But whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for next year, I’m not sure.” Murray also spoke out after the walkover, admitting they will have to sit down and thoroughly discuss future plans.
“Me and Novak agreed that after the tournament we would speak. We’ll do that,” stated Murray, with Djokovic adding: “I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.”
In the scenario that Djokovic parts with Murray, a cooperative effort between him and Raducanu looks perfectly feasible, with a past admission speaking volumes. When asked by the Tennis Channel for four players he would like to coach after retiring, Murray replied: “Female player – Emma Raducanu. Male player – between [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas and [Jack] Draper.”
Murray could soon move on to coach another
The will to coach Raducanu is evidently there, and further comments made – this time after the then-teenager’s stunning US Open victory in 2021 – prove that a sense of mutual respect is also held. “It was incredible what she did there,” admitted Murray four years ago.
“I think for a lot of the people involved in British tennis, we knew she was extremely good.” However, some discord did arise between the two in July, when, in what would have been Murray’s final match at Wimbledon, Raducanu pulled out of the pair’s scheduled mixed doubles match with a reported stiff wrist.
She suffered a stark backlash. Murray’s mother, Judy, even agreed with television presenter Marcus Buckland, who described the decision as “astonishing” on social media platform X, replying with her response: “Yes, astonishing.”
The pair were supposed to play on Court 1 together in July
Yet, any bad blood was soon quelled as Raducanu came clean about a message she had sent the Scotsman, adding plaudits for Murray’s legacy and revealing a mutual sense of respect. She recently explained: “Afterwards, I sent him a long message basically apologising if I caused any trouble.
“That’s definitely the last thing I want,” admitted Raducanu. “He’s someone that I’ve grown up looking up to and I don’t want any bad blood or harsh feelings with him. I sent him a long message, and he took it really well and responded saying he was disappointed, but he understood.”
With this rocky road traversed, it remains to be seen whether or not Murray splits from Djokovic and if he and Raducanu believe that a partnership would be beneficial for both.
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