Emma Raducanu has hired a new coach.
It is a sentence which we have heard several times since the 22-year-old Briton emerged from nowhere to win the 2021 US Open title as a teenage qualifier.
But the appointment of Francisco Roig – a wily Spaniard who helped Rafael Nadal win each of his 22 Grand Slam titles – feels like a longer-term bet as Raducanu looks to continue her upward trajectory.
Going into next week’s US Open – their second tournament together – the world number 35 is hoping Roig can take her even higher.
“Francis is the best coach I worked with by far,” former Spanish number two Feliciano Lopez, who was guided by Roig for several years, told BBC Sport.
“He’s patient but also demanding. He will push you until whatever he thinks needs fixing is fixed.”
What can Roig provide?
Everyone you speak to about the 57-year-old Catalan says the same thing early in the conversation – that his technical knowledge is unparalleled.
Shortly after he stopped working with Lopez, Roig linked up with Nadal in 2005 as a second coach behind his uncle Toni and helped the swashbuckling left-hander become an all-time great.
When Roig left the team in 2022 for a different challenge, former world number one Nadal hailed the one-time ATP Tour player for making him “better and better”.
“Francis is a very good coach and a man who can help Raducanu to improve technically – he puts a lot of attention on this,” Toni Nadal told BBC Sport.
“In today’s game every player hits the ball very fast. But in the end tennis is about power and control – when you hit the ball fast without a good technique it is difficult to put five or six balls inside the court in a row.
“This is what Francis explains to players. I think he can help Raducanu to become a very good tennis player again.”
Having missed the bulk of the 2023 season following operations on wrist and ankle injuries, Raducanu has steadily rebuilt her career.
The revolving door of new coaches has slowed down and another full-time appointment was always a priority after Nick Cavaday stepped back in January because of health reasons.
Since Mark Petchey plugged the gap on an informal basis in March, Raducanu has reached a WTA semi-final in Washington, plus the Miami and Queen’s quarter-finals.
Looking relaxed and happy, she has climbed back to the cusp of the world’s top 30 and played some of her best tennis since that memorable fortnight in New York four years ago.
Now Raducanu feels Roig can add another layer to complement the increasing resilience she has discovered this year.
“I can definitely improve on the quality of a lot of my shots,” Raducanu said.
“I’ve been good at being creative, scrapping, playing the big points well, but the overall quality of my game needs to be better.”
Lopez says Roig achieves that by using unique coaching drills, which are “practical” and “specific”, with his players.
That comes after he identifies technical issues by observation rather than the need for forensic video analysis.
“His eyes are special,” close friend Jordi Vilaro, who has known Roig for more than 40 years and co-owns the BTT Academy in Barcelona with him, told BBC Sport.
“He can see things other coaches can’t see in a 1000th of a second – they maybe need video or slow motion.
“Every player who trains with him for an hour plays better tennis. Win or lose is another thing, but they hit the ball better and cleaner.”