The ‘invisible mentor’ behind Emma Raducanu Revealed That Ready to take her to next level

Emma Raducanu’s coaching carousel has been one of the most prominent storylines of her first full year on tour. From sudden coaching splits to her unconventional decision to operate without a full-time person at the helm of her team, it has been the talk of tennis.

But for all the attention, one woman in her inner circle managed to fall under the radar. Raducanu’s childhood coach Jane O’Donoghue has been described as the “invisible mentor” supporting her stratospheric rise, and she has now swooped in at the most important juncture in the tennis calendar: Wimbledon.

Former player and LTA coach O’Donoghue popped up at the All England Club’s Aorangi Park practice courts with Raducanu on Tuesday. She has been by her side for the entire week, as she prepares to return to the tournament that launched her career a mere 12 months ago.

The ‘invisible mentor’ behind Emma Raducanu Revealed That Ready to take her to next level

For those in the know, it did not come as a surprise. O’Donoghue’s former LTA colleague and doubles partner Claire Curran puts it simply: “Jane’s never not been on Emma’s team.”

A former top 200 player, O’Donoghue spent a decade at the LTA between 2009 and 2019, mainly serving as head of women’s tennis. In that role she helped guide Raducanu’s development, in particular from age 13 to 17, sometimes attending her training sessions in Bromley three times a week and also travelling to junior competitions with her.

In 2019 she swapped her high-powered tennis career for the city, and now works for the Royal Bank of Canada, but has remained Raducanu’s confidante. “She’s always been an invisible mentor to Emma, she’s a friend of the family,” Curran says. “So even though she’s not been on the scene in the last three-and-a-half years, she’s very much been part of Emma’s inner circle.”

O’Donoghue, 39, was a sounding board for Raducanu during Wimbledon last year, and even attended the men’s final with her on Centre Court. During the US Open, she was one of a number of coaches who Raducanu turned to for advice as she inched her way closer to her historic title.

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Raducanu’s ability to take control of her matches in New York, and for three rounds at Wimbledon last year, was one of the most eye-catching facets to her breakthrough. It is a game-style she moulded with O’Donoghue. “Back in 2018, Jane told me, ‘Emma’s always going to be the one changing direction, on the front foot, dictating play’,” Curran says. “She had a really clear understanding of the way Emma was going to build this way of playing. At the US Open, she beat people on the front foot, changing direction – that’s the game they created together.

“When I see her on the court with Emma now, I know they’ll be addressing that game identity and really making sure she’s going back to the way in which she really plays the game.”

For all her success, Raducanu is still adapting to life on tour. She has had niggling injuries and more modest results this year. Since dropping German coach Torben Beltz in April, she has adopted an alternative “training model” where she consults with a number of different coaches rather than just one.

LTA head of women’s tennis Iain Bates was in her corner during the clay court season, and she has taken technical advice from highly-regarded LTA performance coach and doubles specialist Louis Cayer. But with 17 Brits in the main draw in singles at Wimbledon, the LTA coaches were going to be more stretched. It makes perfect sense then that O’Donoghue has been called upon at this moment.

Raducanu is making her debut on Centre Court on Monday, a hugely high-pressured moment. Luckily, she will be able to turn to her temporary chief consultant to offer some first-person advice. In 2002 O’Donoghue was playing in the main draw at Wimbledon for only the second time, like Raducanu, and did so on Centre Court against none other than reigning champion Venus Williams. Unlike Raducanu, she was the underdog, and lost 6-1 6-1. But this link will no doubt be helpful.

Raducanu is said to have complete trust in O’Donoghue, as do her parents. Because of their long history working together, O’Donoghue is able to be direct with Raducanu and knows what works on the court. There is no doubt a level of respect there due to their shared interest in the finance sector too, which Raducanu and has previously spoken about.

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She has looked relaxed on the practice courts at Aorangi Park with O’Donoghue despite the injury-plagued build-up to Wimbledon. “Jane’s not looking to be in the limelight at all,” Curran says. “She just wants what’s best for Emma. I think it’s important Emma has that type of person in her team and her corner.”

There is no suggestion that O’Donoghue will be continuing this hands-on role post-Wimbledon. Nor do we know if she will even sit in Raducanu’s player box when she takes to the court on Monday. Regardless, her presence at the All England Club this week has been a welcome grounding force ahead of what could well be the most intense fortnight of Raducanu’s career so far.

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