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The US Open

Former Williams mentor offers to rehab Emma’s career

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A former coach of the Williams sisters has offered to come to the aid of slumping Emma Raducanu, with the Brit now laid up for the coming months due to several pre-planned wrist and ankle surgeries.

Florida-based Rick Macci couldn’t stop himself from making a public job pitch to the 2021 US open winner who has failed to follow up on her biggest career moment achived as a teenaged qualifier in New York

She has also shed more than a few coaches since her September, 2021, triumph. 

“I’d love that opportunity [to work with Raducanu] if it ever came,” he told local media. 

“I just have to get to know her and what’s in her head because the game is there, but it’s a game of inches. I think in the blink of an eye, this can turn around.”

The 68-year-old said he’s bullish on Raducanu’s future once she gets her game sorted.

“She will come all the way back! Emma can beat anybody anytime anywhere and will win a few Grand Slams.

“You do not lose the talent. You cannot buy confidence over the internet.”

The coach who worked in the past with former No. 1 players  Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova, said that confidence on court is key.

“When you’re confident, you take it a little early, cut the court, be more adventurous, get up to the ball earlier, volley more.

“That’s what people don’t understand in sports, confidence breeds confidence. Unfortunately, it can go the other way.

“That’s what I saw about Venus and Serena, they were bulletproof. Nothing fazed them.”

Macci insists he could engineer a turnaround in the Raducanu game.

“I’ve never met her, I would love to work with this young lady. I could help her mentally, I know I could get this girl back on track.”

“Her life has changed, but that doesn’t mean she has to change. Everything has changed around her, but it’s still her playing tennis.

“I don’t know her. Is she still that hungry, still that competitive? 

“I can’t answer that question, but it has to be about one thing, anybody, anytime, anywhere: a love to compete, and by the way, if I compete well, there’s candy at the end of that.

It can’t be the other way around. If it is, you’re not going to be as hungry.”

The Australian Open

Wimbledon goes modern with electronic reviews

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Wimbledon will bow to the high-tech future by introducing limited electronic reviews of line calls on major courts at the Championships, the club revealed on Saturday.

The All England Club will allow the technology on showcourts including Centre Court, No. 1 and four others. During controversial moments, competitors will be allowed to ask the chair umpire for a review of the point in question.

The wizardry is coming late to Wimbledon having been used at the US Open since 2023 and later adapted by the Australian Open. Roland Garros relies on marks in its clay surface to determine line calls.

Under the rules, players can ask for the review any number of times, with electronic line-calling now in effect at the grass-court major for a second year after the 2025 elimination of human line judges.

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ATP

Sinner claims full house with Indian Wells win

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World No. 2 Jannik Sinner became the youngest man to complete the full set of hard-court victories by beating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8) 7-6 (7) in the searing heat of Indian Wells.

The 24 year old Italian, didn’t face a break point during the final nor did he drop a set on his way to claiming his first title of the year and his 25th overall.

Sinner has won both hard court Grand Slams, with victories at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and at the US Open in 2024.

In addition he has lifted all six Masters 1000 series hard court titles – adding the Indian Wells title to victories in Miami, Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris plus the season-ending ATP Finals.

Only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have achieved the same feat.

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner lifts Indian Wells Trophy – by ATPTour.com

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Indian wells

Her way or the highway for Raducanu on court

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Emma Raducanu remained defiant at the start of the Indian Wells Masters that if she does hire a new coach, it might not be to try and shape her game.

The Brit who won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier and then suffered a four-year drop in form due to injury, is in the market for a mentor – but only if he or she conforms to her vision for her tennis.

“Right now, it’s more about bringing my instincts back out, getting back in touch with myself,” the 23-year-old told the BBC.  “I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit.

“So I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit.

“I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised – even if it’s a trial.

“I might feel the pressure to stick with them, even if it’s not necessarily the right decision.

“I would love to have a coach that works well, but I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be easy to find one person and they are going to check every box.”

Raducanu reached a WTA fiak in early February after exiting in the Australian Open second round. She lost both matches she played last month in the Gulf, at Doha and Dubai.

She is entering the first Masters of the season with former coach Mark Petchey filling in ad hoc in between his TV broadcast commentating duties.

But that solution is temporary. “With Mark I knew he’d be in Indian Wells so I asked him to come out a few days earlier just to do some stuff with me on the court and try to feel back in a better way with my game,” the No. 24 said.

“At the start of the year I didn’t feel too good but the last few days I’ve been feeling better. 

“It’s not something that has really been organised going forward but I knew he would be here and it’s been great, I always love being on court with him.”

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