British number one Emma Raducanu says she wants to "bring my instincts back out" as she prepares for Indian Wells in California.
British number one Emma Raducanu says she is going to be "tapping into a few people" as she tries to rediscover her natural way of playing.
The 2021 US Open champion says she remains open to the idea of having another full-time coach - as long as they do not dictate the way she should play - but is wary of the scrutiny they will attract.
Raducanu's partnership with Francisco Roig ended after January's Australian Open because of a disagreement over her playing style.
The Spaniard was the seventh full-time coach Raducanu had worked with.
"Right now, it's more about bringing my instincts back out, getting back in touch with myself," Raducanu told BBC Sport after a two-hour practice session before her first match at Indian Wells in California.
"I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn't necessarily fit.
"So I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that's something that has been coached out of me a little bit.
"I don't necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised - even if it's a trial.
"I might feel the pressure to stick with them, even if it's not necessarily the right decision.
"I would love to have a coach that works well, but I don't think it's necessarily going to be easy to find one person and they are going to check every box.
"I definitely have my mind open to it. It's just that I would rather someone not come in and tell me 'let's do this', and I disagree with it but have to listen to them.
"So far Alexis [Canter] has been really good, but I am definitely going to tap into a few people here and there."
Petchey helping in day-to-day role
Mark Petchey is at the top of that list. His day job with the Tennis Channel brings him to Indian Wells anyway, and he has answered the call for assistance.
He has been on court regularly this week and, even though the arrangement with Raducanu is on a day-to-day basis, it is possible that Petchey could resume the ad hoc role he had last spring.
Petchey, who coached Andy Murray at the start of his career, joined Raducanu's team in Miami last March as she reached the quarter-finals.
He was also a regular presence throughout the clay-court season, when Raducanu reached the fourth round in Rome.
Raducanu said she asked for Petchey's help as she felt uncomfortable about her game, and has noticed an improvement over the past few days.
"I work really well when I'm with him," she said.
"I'm really happy to be on the court and just really enjoy it overall. I'm not sure, going forward, what it will look like."
Raducanu aims to bounce back from Middle East swing
Canter has limited coaching experience and very much takes a back seat when Petchey is also on the court.
But Canter was with Raducanu as a hitting partner in Washington last summer when she made the semi-finals, and also in Cluj last month when the world number 24 reached only the second final of her career.
Raducanu did not win a match in Doha or Dubai, where she had a chest infection, but is healthy again for Friday's second-round match - following a first-round bye -against qualifier Anastasia Zakharova.
Raducanu has had a full week of practice to get used to the thin desert air and the Californian sun.
She thinks the best way to climb the rankings is by trusting her natural instincts - irrespective of who is in the coaching box.
That means trying to play like she did as a teenager by taking the ball early and - as she said after exiting the Australian Open in the second round - by "hitting the ball to the corners and hard".
Category: General Sports
