British No1 Emma Raducanu has secured the services of a coach who helped guide Rafael Nadal to all of his 22 Grand Slam victories.
Francisco Roig will work with the 22-year-old through to the conclusion of 2025, taking over from Mark Petchey.
The arrangement with Petchey, which began in Miami earlier this year, was always intended as a temporary solution due to his television broadcasting obligations.
Despite producing encouraging results during their collaboration, the need for a dedicated full-time coach became increasingly apparent.
Emma Raducanu has made the eighth coaching change of her short career
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Roig becomes the eighth coach to work with Raducanu since her professional career began.
The 57-year-old Spaniard brings exceptional pedigree to the role, having served as assistant coach alongside Toni Nadal throughout Rafael Nadal's extraordinary career from 2005 to 2022.
The Barcelona native, who achieved a world ranking of 60th during his playing days, is recognised for his technical coaching abilities.
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The 22-year-old made he change ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year later this month
| GETTYInitial conversations between Raducanu's camp and Roig commenced during the Wimbledon Championships, followed by a trial period shortly afterwards. The Spaniard's previous commitments prevented an earlier start date.
Following his lengthy tenure with Nadal, Roig spent the 2023-2024 season coaching Italian player Matteo Berrettini, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2021.
Whilst Petchey will step aside from formal coaching duties, he is expected to maintain close ties with Raducanu's team in an advisory capacity.
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The British coach acknowledged in July that his broadcasting schedule made a permanent position unworkable, stating: "We are very aware she needs a second coach to come on board and maybe just one coach, not me, as well."
Raducanu has experienced considerable instability in her coaching arrangements since her breakthrough victory at the US Open in 2021.
Her most recent appointment, Slovak coach Vlado Platenik, lasted merely a fortnight.
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Mark Petchey had been coaching the British No1
| GettyThis latest appointment represents a departure from Raducanu's tendency to work with coaches from her inner circle who knew her before her Grand Slam triumph.
Roig's arrival in Cincinnati on Monday evening marks the beginning of their partnership ahead of the WTA 1000 tournament starting Thursday.
The new coach previously shared insights into his methodology, explaining how he helped Nadal optimise his performance whilst managing physical limitations: "We made sure that all his movements gradually resulted in less energy being expended when he hit the ball."
Currently ranked 38th in the live standings, Raducanu must climb into the top 32 to secure seeding at the US Open.
Her recent form includes a quarter-final appearance at Eastbourne and a semi-final run at the Citi Open in Washington.
The US Open kicks off on August 24, running through September 7.