Emma Raducanu needs a stable fitness regime to address her ongoing injury problems, says Andy Murray… British teenager has hired his former fitness coach Jez Green but it is likely to be only a short-term arrangement
- Raducanu has been urged to find training consistency amid injury troubles
- She has asked Murray’s former fitness trainer Green to supervise her pre-season
- Green is also under contract to work with former US Open champion Thiem
Andy Murray has expressed the hope that Emma Raducanu can properly nail down her arrangement with his former fitness coach, to avoid the physical problems that have dogged her all year.
Raducanu has engaged Jez Green to supervise her pre-season, but there remain questions about how much time he can dedicate to her in the long-term. He is also under contract to work with another former US Open champion, Dominic Thiem.
As Murray knows from his own developmental experience, having a stable fitness regime is a non-negotiable in the modern game.
Emma Raducanu has been urged to find training consistency amid injury troubles
Green has been overseeing Raducanu’s training block, but also has commitments with the Austrian.
She is presently unable to hit due to a sore wrist, and will miss next week’s Billie Jean King Cup finals.
‘I think with any coaching relationship, whether it’s strength and conditioning or tennis, it’s kind of making sure that you’re spending enough time with that person to be able to really make a difference,’ said Murray, as he prepared to wrap up his season at the Paris Masters.
Raducanu has asked Murray’s former fitness trainer Jez Green to supervise her pre-season
‘I think sometimes unless you really dedicate the time to it is kind of difficult to make a difference. So if they get to spend enough time together, I’m sure that that would be helpful for her.
‘If it’s not Jez, then a strength and conditioning coach full time I’m sure would be helpful. Trying to improve the physical side and avoid the niggles and injuries, and the best way to do that is to get stronger and have someone around you more consistently.’
Murray working with fitness coach Green at the US Open
Murray will play French veteran Gilles Simon, and the Scot is part of a GB quartet carving out a small slice of history this week.
Since the Masters level of elite events on the ATP Tour (the tier below the Grand Slams) was introduced nearly 33 years ago, this will be the first time that four British men are straight into the main field without going through qualifying or receiving wildcards.
That is by virtue of having four inside the top fifty, which also now contains Cam Norrie, Dan Evans and the fast-rising Jack Draper. In a real switch from the norm, it is double the number enjoyed by this week’s host nation, where tennis is such a major sport.
‘Cam has had a really solid year. He has sort of consolidated himself in the top 15 in the world, which is brilliant,’ said Murray, who revealed that he is now sufficiently confident in his body to plan on playing the clay court season next year, including the French Open.
‘Dan will be close to finishing as high as he has done in a year. Jack is the stand-out, one of the best of the young guys around. He can be right up at the top of the game in the next 18 months.’
Novak Djokovic will play his first Masters level event since the Spring, due to his vaccine-related absences, while Rafael Nadal is back after becoming a father for the first time.
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