Tim Henman thinks Francisco Roig’s presence is already having a very positive impact on Emma Raducanu and the former world No. 4 believes it could lead to some great things in 2026.

After Wimbledon, Raducanu gave a call to Roig, who famously worked with Rafael Nadal for 17 years. Instantly, the 23-year-old started showing signs of improvement and she came inches away from upsetting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka before falling just short in a third-set tie-break.

Unfortunately for Raducanu, she was prevented by illness and injuries from having a strong end to the year. However, the 2021 US Open champion has a lot of time to recover and put in a strong offseason work.

“She’s moving in the right direction and I think we all would have agreed in the past she needs consistency and continuity. Having [coach] Francisco Roig in her corner. They have really looked like building a good partnership and I’m excited that is continuing through into 2026. He has huge experience,” Henman told Sky Sports. 

What Raducanu underlined as her goal after hiring Roig?

When asked to address the Roig addition, Raducanu was very transparent about why she made the move. The first thing the British tennis player noted as her goal was to improve her game. Then, she underlined that she wanted to reach the level where she would be good enough to regularly challenge and beat the top players of the game.

“I need to play these top girls and I think a win against one of them gives you a lot of confidence in general, but I know I just need to keep doing the right things day to day and the results I can’t really control. But I think I’m just working towards getting closer and closer to the top ones,” the former world No. 10 stated at the US Open.

Raducanu heads into 2026 ranked at No. 29 in the world. She will start the season by representing Great Britain at the United Cup.