Emma Raducanu says she will be working with former coach Nick Cavaday and Mark Petchey during the grasscourt season but admits she is not in top shape due to a back problem.

The former US Open champion split with Cavaday in January this year after he stepped back from coaching for health reasons.

Speaking on the eve of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club, Raducanu talked about practising again with Cavaday and said both he and Petchey will be coaching her up to and including Wimbledon.

“I’m happy to see him healthy, first of all,” Raducanu said.

“I mean, it’s been such a long time since we were last on court together in Australia, and Mark is in Paris commentating, so Nick was around and it was nice to just have a few days with him.

“They’ll both be helping me throughout the grass [season].

“I think having Mark and Nick, both people who have banks of experience and I think they can complement each other really well and I trust both of them a lot.

“So that is a big fundamental for me. So I’m looking forward to this upcoming season and seeing how it goes.”

Raducanu ‘managing’ back issue

Despite positives in her coaching team, Raducanu did admit she is dealing with an ongoing back issue which is a cause for concern on the eve of the grasscourt season beginning.

“I have had a small interruption with a back spasm again so that was a bit annoying,” she added.

“That kind of hindered my grass prep but the last few days I have managed to get on the grass and just begin to feel my feet.

“I’ve been managing my back for the last few weeks now, and it’s something that comes and goes.

“Overall, I just have to manage what I can take care of and if these things happen, I just need to deal with it and just keep doing the right things.

“It can be frustrating. I think when I was playing in Strasbourg in my second-round match, it definitely hindered me, and first round in Paris but I got through.

“And I think that just having to manage it, knowing that it keeps coming back is frustrating.

“But I try not to let it get to me, because I think I have a pretty good feel of when it happens what to do and how to manage it. It does take a few days out, but all I can do is kind of deal with what’s in front of me.”

Raducanu could face Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the HSBC Championships.

The 22-year-old will take on a qualifier in the first round and could meet Krejcikova after that if she comes through her match with Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

Raducanu also confirmed she and Katie Boulter will be teaming up to play doubles at Queen’s.

Queen’s returns to the WTA calendar after a 52-year absence and the tournament will run from June 9-15.

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