Inside Emma Raducanu’s inner circle and the decision-makers in her entourage

A tearful Emma Raducanu admitted she had mismanaged her schedule after her opening round loss to Sofia Kenin at the US Open.

Raducanu, who is yet to win a match at Flushing Meadows since her stunning US triumph three years ago, took a three-and-a-half week break from the match court after her quarter-final loss to Paula Badosa at the Washington Open on August 4.

She decided to skip Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati, where she would have had to go through qualifying, instead returning home to train at the National Tennis Centre in south-west London – a “collective” decision that she said was made by her team.

So who is in Raducanu’s inner circle? And who is ultimately responsible for managing her schedule?

Nick Cavaday – coach

One of the most trusted figures in her circle as her childhood coach, Cavaday played an influential role in Raducanu’s development as a junior player, guiding her at the Bromley Tennis Centre between the ages of 10 and 12.

A former head coach of the LTA’s Loughborough Academy, the 38-year-old has kept in contact with Raducanu since her US Open success, even helping her out with practice at the National Tennis Centre last year before the pair struck a more formal agreement ahead of this year’s Australian Open.

He has been a valued member of her entourage ever since and is known to pride himself on developing young talent. He counts British players Aljaz Bedene (who later reverted to Slovenian nationality) and Dom Inglot among his alumni.

Will Herbert – physio

Raducanu has had a carousel of coaches since her fairy tale in New York, but Herbert is one of the few remaining members of her US Open winning team.

Herbert played a crucial role in Raducanu’s Flushing Meadows success – even featuring in photos she published on Instagram – and is often seen in her box cheering her on. The pair’s relaxed relationship has been clear to see, with Raducanu previously calling him the “mechanic”.

Ian and Renee – parents

Raducanu’s parents are the main driving force behind their daughter’s work ethic. Both work in the finance sector, but are said to be strikingly different.

Ian is said to take a particular interest in his daughter’s coaches and has a more hands-on approach – at one time he supposedly wanted Emma to have a different coach for each shot – which would explain his wide-ranging outlook on tennis.

Meanwhile, his Chinese wife, Renee, is the no-nonsense one, though a nervous spectator. Raducanu has previously described here as her role model. “Her work ethic is something that she’s instilled in me from a young age; I definitely got that from her,” she said in an interview with Tatler. “She’s very strong and she is great at reading people, which I’ve also picked from her.”

Benjamin Heynold – best friend

A former tennis protege, Raducanu counts Heynold among her closest friends. The pair have known each other since they were six and grew up representing Great Britain together on the junior circuit.

Little is known about their friendship, although Heynold was studying in New York at the time of Raducanu’s US Open success. He allegedly offered to be her post-run tour guide and set the rumour mill whirring when the pair were snapped below a Manhattan billboard with Raducanu’s face projected onto it.

The duo, though, are said to be good friends, with Raducanu valuing his presence in New York given her parents were unable to travel because of Covid travel restrictions.

Iain Bates – head of women’s tennis at LTA

Raducanu has consistently credited the Lawn Tennis Association for playing a pivotal role in her career and has not held back in tapping into their resources. Bates oversaw her development at the National Tennis Centre during her early years and, along with Herbert, was with her in New York for her US Open triumph.

More recently, he was highly supportive of Raducanu’s decision not to play at the Paris Olympics, saying he was “very comfortable” with the situation.

Jane O’Donoghue – mentor

One of Raducanu’s most trusted confidantes. O’Donoghue was the LTA’s national coach for women from 2009 to 2019 and during that time was heavily involved in Raducanu’s junior career.

She now works for a subsection of the Credit Agricole/Santander banking empire but pops back to the tennis court to offer support when she can. Raducanu called on O’Donoghue to help her prepare for this year’s Nottingham Open after Cavaday fell unwell and prior to that spent a week with her in Auckland at the start of the year.

She also guided her Wimbledon campaign in 2022, when she was beaten in the second round by Caroline Garcia.

Max Eisenbud – agent

The vice-president of tennis at entertainment giant IMG, Eisenbud is the mastermind behind Raducanu’s impressive portfolio of sponsorship deals, which include Tiffany & Co, Dior, Wilson, Evian, Porsche, HSBC, Vodafone and British Airways.

In the aftermath of her Flushing Meadows success, Eidenbud revealed he had started tapping up commercial partners long before Raducanu was crowned an unlikely champion.

“We were just enjoying the ride until like the quarters,” he told Andy Roddick’s Serve podcast. “And once she got to the quarters I said to my team, this is happening.” He is best known for helping Maria Sharapova earn up to £20 million a year in sponsorships before the pair’s relationship broke down in 2016 over the Russian’s drugs ban.

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