Coach axed by Emma Raducanu after just one match makes feelings clear on tennis star

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Vladimir Platenik has spoken out following his swift coaching split with British tennis star Emma Raducanu, pointing to the "stress and pressure" she's facing as factors. Just after one showdown in Indian Wells where Raducanu was defeated by Mayuka Uchjima, their brief trial partnership came to an end.

Raducanu had shown interest in working with the Slovakian coach earlier in her career, but before even setting off for the Miami Open, where she recently prevailed in a match against Sayaka Ishii, Platenik was let go. The coach expressed understanding for Raducanu's situation in a candid chat with BBC Sport. "I totally understand Emma, she's not in an easy position," he said, articulating the immense scrutiny thrust upon her post-2021 US Open victory.

Raducanu had returned to play at Indian Wells after an unsettling event at the Dubai Open involving a stalker, which Platenik hinted might have disturbed the world No. 60's mindset, reports the Express.

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He conveyed empathy towards Raducanu's struggle with heightened expectations. "For me it's absolutely understandable that she's under a lot of pressure. She told me she was feeling stressed," he mentioned, adding, "There are no hard feelings from my side. She finished the relationship in a fair way, maybe too quickly, but this is tennis, this is sport. We need to respect that.

"She was not feeling OK, and that was her decision. I didn't want to go into deeper communication about that. I think the player needs to feel good, and the player needs to make a decision. Sometimes you make a good decision, and sometimes bad."

Despite their brief collaboration, Platenik expressed contentment with Raducanu's development, saying he was "happy" with her progress and satisfied with her victory over Ishii. Raducanu is set for a challenging match against eighth seed Emma Navarro on Friday afternoon.

Raducanu continues her tennis journey with the support of long-time advisor and coach Jane O'Donoghue in Miami, alongside fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura, who joined her team in December.

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