The Cincinnati Open is set for a Wimbledon reprise. On Monday, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces Emma Raducanu in a meeting of US Open champions, a matchup that, last month, lit up Centre Court. At the All England Club, Raducanu, a former world No. 10, pushed Sabalenka to the brink. She forced a tiebreak in the opening set and built a 4-1 lead in the second before Sabalenka wrestled back control, closing out a charged contest, 7-6 (6), 6-4. The rematch has been circled on calendars since. And it hasn’t been without its drama.

Raducanu has enlisted Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig, through the end of the year. She plans to begin full-time work with him in Cincinnati. Since March, the British No. 1 had been splitting time with her former coach, Mark Petchey, but his broadcasting schedule during the U.S. hard-court swing left her seeking another option. Roig was already in her corner this week as she navigated a 6-3, 6-2 win over Olga Danilovic in the second round.

However, their partnership has caused some rule-breaking. During the first set against Sabalenka, Roig’s voice carried from the player box with brief bursts of encouragement and instruction. But at 5-4, after the Brit dug out a tight service hold, she walked over to speak to him directly. That’s when the umpire intervened. Players are not permitted to approach their coaches mid-game.

“She’s even going over for some advice before heading to her chair. Huge amount of dialogue at the moment, and the umpire has just called her away; can’t do that,” Sky Sports commentator Adam Fielder said.

On-court coaching has been allowed since this year, but with limits. Coaches may offer advice verbally or through hand signals at any time, except during a point. The rules call for such exchanges to be “brief and discreet,” unless it’s a changeover or set break. This one wasn’t, which is why the chair umpire stepped in. Raducanu later apologized, explaining she had walked over because the music was too loud to hear Roig from her seat.

Since her US Open triumph four years ago, the 22-year-old has cycled through seven full-time coaches. Stability has been elusive. Nick Cavaday, who left the team in January, was her last permanent coach. Working with Petchey brought flashes of progress, but last month he made clear that a permanent role was impossible given his television schedule. Roig, who spent nearly two decades as a secondary coach in Rafael Nadal’s camp from 2005 to 2023, now takes over.

And the 2021 US Open champion believes her new alliance with Francisco Roig could push her game into a higher gear.

Emma Raducanu hopes to beat top players with new coach

Emma Raducanu’s recent surge has been fueled by her consistency against lower-ranked opponents, going 19-4 in such matchups over the past year. After years of struggling to put wins together, she is now showing the toughest match temperament of her career.

But the problems arise when she is facing someone like Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka. With Roig she is hoping to take her game to the next level. She sees clear areas for growth. “I think I can definitely improve on a lot of my shots, just the quality of them,” Raducanu said to the Guardian in an interview. “I think I’ve been good at being creative, scrapping, playing the big points well, but I think the overall quality of my game needs to be better. And I see that when I play the really top players where I can’t run and scrap, wait on them to miss. I think that’s where I need to improve. And yeah, I’m hoping he can help me with that.”

Now ranked No. 33 on the WTA tour and 26 in the Race, a strong run in Cincinnati could see her seeded at a major for the first time since her US Open points dropped off. If this partnership clicks, the climb could get steeper. And Raducanu seems ready for the hike.