Thread by @thetimes

Emma Raducanu has a new coach

Torben Beltz, who helped guide Angelique Kerber to world No.1, is tasked with steering Raducanu through a first year on tour

Will his choosing help the British tennis prodigy reach her full potential?
thetimes.co.uk/article/whats-…

Beltz, 25 years Raducanu’s senior, brings a vital bout experience that the US Open champion needs to further her game

Perhaps just as importantly, he comes across as both a pleasant and reassuring individual; one who will provide a key pillar of support during a tricky year

Unlike the majority of coaches, Beltz has a playing record that is almost non-existent

His only two listed matches were first-round losses

Despite this, Beltz has had a keen analytical eye from a young age, picking up his first German coaching badge when he was 16

It’s also hard to find anyone on tour with a bad word to say of Beltz. He is renowned for his positive mindset and penchant for fun both on and off the court

Beltz and Raducanu will start working together in early December as part of a four-week training block ahead of the new season

Another key figure during this period will be Gareth Shelbourne, the fitness trainer who started working with Raducanu when she was 12

Shelbourne had her hip thrusting 200kg — more than double the average for a female — in the gym by the time she was 16, and Raducanu has already made it known that she is eager to improve her stamina

Beltz will focus more on the technical side. Raducanu’s serve, for example, is placed well but would benefit with a little more power

At the US Open this year, her top speed of 110mph was 12mph slower than 17-year-old Coco Gauff’s best effort

Raducanu, who was ranked No.338 at the start of this summer, has essentially skipped the apprenticeship that many other champions benefited from. Until the grass-court season next June, every tournament she plays will be a first

She has never played a professional match on clay

Hiring Beltz is therefore a shrewd move by Raducanu, but it is unlikely to mean a sudden return to the dominance we saw at the US Open

Patience will be required as both player and coach find their feet in this new partnership

It is unrealistic anyway at present to expect Raducanu to sweep all before her. Even Serena Williams took time to build on her status as a grand-slam champion, winning her second major trophy two years and nine months after her first

Neither is it reasonable to dismiss Raducanu as a potential one-slam wonder based on her recent form

With Beltz now on board, this special talent can go on to add more prestigious silverware to her collection

Just give her some time to do so
thetimes.co.uk/article/whats-…