Emma Raducanu will head to Indian Wells with interim coach Tom Welsh after the British tennis star was targeted by a ‘stalker’ in Dubai last week.
Raducanu is eager to move on from the unpleasant incident at the Dubai Tennis Championships and will return to action in California on March 5.
The 22-year-old is currently operating without a full-time coach after Nick Cavaday left the role following the Australian Open over health reasons.
Raducanu has been working with Jane O’Donoghue and Roman Kelecic since the split with Cavaday with LTA academy coach Welsh now joining her team on a temporary basis for the Indian Wells tennis tournament.
Yutaka Nakamura, Raducanu’s strength and conditioning specialist, will also travel out to Indian Wells – with the prestigious event often considered the unofficial fifth Grand Slam on the professional tennis calendar.
Raducanu, who has been offered up to five extra security guards at Indian Wells after the incident in Dubai, is still seeking a new permanent coach.
Former British No.1 Laura Robson recently claimed Raducanu is unlikely to appoint a full-time coach any time soon as her ‘options are pretty limited’.
‘I don’t think she’s in any rush, really, to employ someone new, just for the sake of it,’ Robson told Sky Sports.
‘It has to make sense for her and it has to be the right person. There’s not too many amazing coaches around who can travel full-time.
‘So [her] options are pretty limited. You wouldn’t want to go into a new partnership without 100 per cent confidence.’
Raducanu broke down in tears and hid behind the umpire’s chair during a clash against Karolina Muchova at her most recent event in Dubai.
It later emerged that she became distressed when she spotted a man displaying ‘fixated behaviour’ in the crowd, who is alleged to have followed her over four countries and approached her before the match.
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The individual, who was swiftly thrown out, reportedly gave Raducanu a letter in an off-site incident and has since been handed a restraining order by Dubai police and banned from all future tournaments.
Indian Wells organisers are keen to ensure Raducanu feels safe with the Briton ‘likely’ to be offered up to five extra security guards, The Times have reported, with Bob Campbell in charge of arrangements.
Campbell, vice-president of security for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, worked as a secret service agent for 20 years in the United States and reportedly had a prominent role during Bill Clinton’s presidency.
Should Raducanu decide to accept the offer of extra security, the guards will work to ensure her safety while on-site at Indian Wells, while it is also possible they could accompany her off-site back to her accommodation.
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