Sports
The ‘invisible mentor’ behind Emma Raducanu Revealed That Ready to….
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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Sports
“How young is too young” Underage Driver Wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Had Caused Commotion
“How young is too young” Underage Driver Wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Had Caused Commotion
Young drivers entering NASCAR is not new. While prime examples include Chase Elliott, who debuted in the K&N Pro Series at 15, and 17-year-old Connor Zilisch who competes in Xfinity, from time to time, people still wonder if the organization’s age limit is too low. Case in point, recently an underage driver wreaked havoc at a Dale Earnhardt Jr-owned CARS Tour race. The unfortunate incident inevitably saw fans questioning NASCAR’s age-related stance.
And it’s safe to say that the driver being who suffered the aftermath of the wreck wasn’t happy either!
When stock car racing took root in the late 1940s, NASCAR’s premier series was limited to people 21 or older. Usually, drivers between 35-45 years of age were regarded as prime. But the turn of the 21st century has encouraged youngsters to try their hands at the steering wheel. Take Dale Jr, for example, who got his NASCAR debut at 22!
However, now the age limit may be further plummeting down even lower! Although the sanctioned age to drive full-time in NASCAR’s top-three touring series is 18, other affiliated series are flexible. And this flexibility put Late Model sensation Landon Huffman in serious danger.
Notably, when Dale Earnhardt Jr announced his CARS Tour ownership alongside three other veterans, he gave an interesting insight. He grew up racing Late Model races on the West Coast, and hence underlined experience as important. “What seems so simple to us, because we have been around it our whole lives, is not so simple to the weekly competitor who is struggling to get to the track or has a question about what is right or wrong or what he should or shouldn’t do,” the JR Motorsports team owner opined.
But something happened recently that directly contradicted Dale Earnhardt Jr’s philosophy, as an inexperienced racer sparked chaos at a CARS Tour race at Ace Speedway. Late Model sensation Landon Huffman washed up against an unexpected debacle. While battling for the lead, an underage racer violently pushed Hoffman’s car to the wall, as the latter’s roof came off. Huffman shared the video on X.
Jumior’s popular driver also proclaimed his intense dislike for NASCAR’s falling age limit. He wrote in another tweet, attaching his car’s picture after the wreck, “Led over half of the second twin and then this. Exhibit A why kids under the age of 14 should not be driving late model stock cars”.
Huffman’s views echo some veteran drivers’ opinions. Last year, Tony Stewart was baffled at some racing series picking up 12-14-year-old kids. “It makes zero sense to me,” he had said at the time. On the other hand, RFK Racing owner Brad Keselowski also empathized with the children, who he believes are missing out on their teenage growth. “We hurt them in their ability to develop their own lives,” he shared.
But that’s not all. After Huffman’s terrifying accident, NASCAR fans are also getting active on the same topic. Looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr’s series got a few raps for allowing children to compete.
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Chase Elliott is F**kingly Rich- Expensive things owned by Him Exposed
Being the son of former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott and a six-time recipient of the NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott remains one of the wealthiest drivers on the grid. Part of that wealth funds the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s lavish lifestyle.
Elliott, who has a net worth of $12 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), indulges in a lifestyle filled with luxury and opulence, owning several expensive items that offer a glimpse into his extravagant world.
In this article, we take a closer look at the lavish lifestyle of Chase Elliott: The 28-year-old driver resides in a luxurious mansion situated in the Georgia mountains in Dawsonville, Georgia. The three bedroom, fourbathroom mansion spans three floors, boasting an open-concept layout on the main floor with a kitchen, living room, and half-bathroom, while the second story houses three bedrooms.
2. Motorhome
To navigate the demanding NASCAR season schedule, Elliott owns a luxurious Prevost motorhome, estimated to cost between $800,000 to $2 million. Customized to his preferences, the 47-foot motorcoach features a front entrance with driver and co-driver seats, a lobby area equipped with two televisions and a video game console, and an iPadcontrolled system for managing lights, temperature, and security.
3. Private Jet
Elliott’s passion for flying is evident in his ownership of a $1.8 million Cessna Citation 525 private jet. Beyond mere transportation, Chase Elliott has admitted that flying serves as a distraction for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, allowing him to focus on activities away from the racetrack
4. First car
Right off the bat, Chase Elliott made his stance clear when he revealed during an appearance in the Pat McAfee show that the Hendrick Motorsports driver was not a car collector. While the fact may come as a surprise for many given Elliott’s profession, he admitted that racing was his “speed fix.”
However, Chase Elliott did own a car once, and a very special one at that. A teenage Elliott, who was still coming through the ranks of Super Late Model Racing, was gifted a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck by his parents Bill and Cindy Elliott.
In addition to his lavish possessions, the former Cup Series champion enjoys spending time on the golf course, indulging in his passion for the sport.
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Mercedes declares its prestaties Hamilton: “Lewis has become the slachtoffer van”
Lewis Hamilton probably imagined his last year at Mercedes differently. The Briton performs very poorly in the slow W15 and is regularly unable to keep up with teammate George Russell . The result? 27 meager points and ninth place in the championship. But why is that? Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director , tries to explain it using the set-up. Hamilton experiments quite often.
“It’s mainly about learning more about the car,” Shovlin told Auto, Motor und Sport . “Lewis is often open to major changes to the set-up this year. He wants to know better how he can get the most out of the car. Lewis has sometimes fallen victim to that, but if you don’t change anything, you don’t learn anything. It would be wrong to say: ‘it is what it is, let’s make the best of it’.
Shovlin also believes that Mercedes should come up with a solution. It’s not entirely Hamilton’s fault. “The bottom line is that we need to find a better balance. Then we don’t have to constantly deal with compromises. Often we solve one problem and get another in return. The goal should be to have a strong front axle without that it is at the expense of stability at the rear. The car must also turn well in the slow corners without causing oversteer in the fast corners.”
Mercedes just hasn’t found that balance yet, Shovlin admits. “We have not yet managed to be competitive everywhere and we cannot achieve that in one race. That is what we are currently working on. We no longer want to choose between being fast in slow or fast corners. If If you adjust the car low to the ground, you are fast in the slow corners due to the downforce produced. However, in the fast corners there is a possibility that you will hit the asphalt. The reverse works exactly the same you get maximum downforce in the fast corners, but you pay the price in the slow corners. It is difficult to find the compromise over an entire lap.”
