Raducanu turns to Andy Murray’s fitness guru: Emma hires Jez Green to make her a machine

Emma Raducanu has turned to the fitness trainer who helped transform Andy Murray from slim teen to super athlete.

In what could prove to be a significant appointment, the former US Open champion has begun working with Jez Green on her off-season training block with a view to forging a permanent partnership.

Raducanu, who turns 20 next month, has already hit the gym with one of the most experienced operators in his field, who boasts an impressive resume.

However, she is again looking for a coach after Dmitry Tursunov terminated their agreement, whereby the California-based Russian would have made the choice herself.

The arrival of 50-year-old Green could well have a lasting impact, as Raducanu’s body has proved a major hindrance when it comes to sustaining her extraordinary 2021 summer.

Green was instrumental in making Murray someone who could handle the rigors of the tour, after an early career that was also limited by physical shortcomings.

Having initially struggled with the demands of the modern game, the Scotsman became an outstanding athlete whose track coverage enabled him to reach number 1 in the world in the era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Green’s eye for detail and easy-going demeanor led him to work with the likes of Alexander Zverev and another US Open champion, Dominic Thiem. In recent days, he has been spotted together with Raducanu at the Roehampton National Tennis Center.

Few on the track are more respected in his work, and Raducanu will hope he can mold her into someone who can withstand the grind of the tour.

When Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova underwent a training block with Green last year, she described it as “life-changing”.

Green has developed his ideas over 20 years working on the tours and bases his approach on factors beyond just building strength and conditioning.

The focus is on how an athlete moves and building a long-term plan that focuses primarily on enabling players to get into the best position to hit the ball. He has said it will take him six to 12 months to properly implement his ideas, including spells that are completely off the tennis court.

Jez Green will help Raducnu’s fitness, after a season that was ruined by her four-match retirement

Raducanu is currently using Andy Murray’s former fitness trainer to get herself back in shape

He recently explained his guiding principles in the Control the Controllables podcast. “My philosophy has always been that tennis is an exercise sport,” says Green. ‘People like to talk about track work or weightlifting, but to me this is purely an accessory to exercise.

‘I am fascinated by the big ones and how they move. The best players are always the best movers. The actual details of movement – where the feet are, what angles are the hips, what angles are the knees, the center of gravity, how wide the base is.”

Raducanu is a natural mover, so she should be a good subject for Green’s philosophy. She has worked with several trainers and physios, but it took a long time to find someone who can fully oversee that side of the process. The aim is to put an end to the sight of tour personnel regularly taking to the track to make ongoing repairs.

This year Raducanu has withdrawn from four games and her grass campaign was ruined by a side load. She is absent from Transylvania Open this week due to a nagging wrist problem.

While Green, who likes to take a long-term perspective in implementing his scientific principles, will try to address that, it won’t be next to Tursunov.

The Russian teamed up with Raducanu at the end of July to see where they stood at the end of the season. There seemed to be tentative signs that he was restoring aggressive intent to her game, but it is believed he has decided to make contact with a player significantly higher than the current number 68 in the world.

Contrary to what has happened to Raducanu all too often in the past, it seems like he was the one who wanted to go somewhere else.

Raducanu broke up with some coaches, but it looks like Dmitry Tursunov has run away

There were also complications, which were unlikely to improve, when it came to his ability to travel. Although he has lived in the US for a long time, Tursunov’s nationality has made obtaining visas a potential problem. At the end of last month, the WTA event in Estonia became a Russian-free zone as a result of a government edict and there are increasing steps across the EU to restrict access.

Tursunov’s departure may come as a useful shock to Raducanu, whose post-New York troubles started with her abrupt parting with Andrew Richardson.

Few players reach the top and stay there without a steady and trusted line-up. Green can be part of the puzzle that comes together, and another has to be a full-time coach.

Raducanu’s regular touring season is over, but she plans to play for GB in Glasgow next month in the Billie Jean King Cup 12-nation final.