Emma Raducanu opens up about split with coach Torben Beltz in Madrid

WATCH: Raducanu reached her first quarterfinal of 2022 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Emma Raducanu has spoken about her coaching plans for the first time since announcing her split with Torben Beltz.

Seeded ninth at the Mutua Madrid Open, the 19-year-old from Britain started working with Beltz during the offseason, saying the former coach of Angelique Kerber had the experience she needed as she started her first full WTA season.

"Torben is a great guy. I really enjoyed my time with him on and off the court," she told press at Madrid. "He is one of the nicest people I've met so obviously it was a tough one to split with someone like that.

"I think Torben has been great for me because when I wanted someone with tour experience, I think for my first six months on the tour, it was very valuable."

Though Raducanu doesn't know who she wants to work with next, she says she does know what to work on.

"It's definitely become more apparent, and especially as I've spent more time on the tour playing more matches against these top opponents, that I kind of understand what I feel like I need more of," she said. "I think going forward I'll probably be putting a lot more emphasis on sparring. It is becoming more apparent to me as I spend more time on the tour is just getting used to these girls' ball speed."

It is becoming more apparent to me as I spend more time on the tour is just getting used to these girls' ball speed. Emma Raducanu

Raducanu, who did some training with veteran Italian coach Riccardo Piatti before the clay season, adds that she's not in a hurry to find a new coach and has experienced frequent changes to her team during her career so far.

She was coached by Andrew Richardson during her Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 US Open, but did not extend their partnership despite her success at the event. Raducanu then brought on LTA coach Jeremy Bates on a temporary basis before selecting Beltz as her new coach.

This season, she had had frequent injuries and had not won back-to-back matches until a week ago in Stuttgart, where she reached the quarterfinals in her first WTA-level event on clay courts.

That run ended at the hands of world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, whom Raducanu pushed through two competitive sets. Raducanu continued that momentum at the Caja Magica, posting a 7-6 (3), 6-0 victory over Tereza Martincova in the first round. She will next face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk on Sunday; Kostyuk won their most recent meeting in straight sets last fall in Cluj-Napoca.