Emma Raducanu in talks with renowned fitness coach who worked with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka

Emma Raducanu’s career has been blighted by injury and fitness woes, but the former US Open champion is determined to turn her fortunes around as she is reportedly looking to team up with one of the best strength and conditioning experts in tennis.

Since making her breakthrough in 2021, Raducanu has struggled with various injuries and it has no doubt played a major role in her shunted progress since she won her biggest title of her career at Flushing Meadows.

The 21-year-old has dealt with different health issues, blisters, wrist woes, ankle injuries and muscle problems over the past three years.

Last year she missed most of the campaign as she underwent surgery on both wrists and her one ankle while recently she missed the bulk of the swing in Asia due to an ankle problem.

But Raducanu wants to make her fitness one of her top priorities going forward and has turned to Yutaka Nakamura as she is in talks with the fitness expert, according to Telegraph Sport.

Nakamura has a brilliant CV was part of Maria Sharapova’s team for eight years while he also worked Naomi Osaka for a lengthy period and had stints with likes Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce, Tommy Haas, Kei Nishikori and Denis Shapovalov.

Nakamura’s experience also includes time as the Head of Tennis Strength and Conditioning at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

According to the report, “a full-time deal with Nakamura would signal an encouraging willingness from Raducanu to invest in her tennis – and most specifically her fitness”.

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Raducanu – who briefly worked with Jez Green in 2022 and the early stages of the 2023 season – is currently recovering from injury after she suffered foot ligament damage during her run to the quarter-final of the Korea Open.

After initially hoping she would make a quick return to action, she was forced to miss the China Open, Wuhan Open qualifiers, Guangzhou Open and Hong Kong Open.

That ankle injury came not long after she was forced to play a shortened North American hard-court swing where she struggled with an abdominal strain that she picked in early August.

Raducanu played only one pre-US Open warm-up event as she reached the quarter-final of the Citi DC Open and then skipped several tournaments before heading to Flushing Meadows where she lost in the first round.

But she is on course to return to action for Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals match against Germany with her team indicating that she will travel to Malaga for next week’s event.