Emma Raducanu has not only reunited with coach Andrew Richardson, she is planning to finish out the rest of the season with the man who helped guide her to her lone major title at the US Open in 2021.
“He’s someone I’ve known for a very long time, over a decade,” Raducanu told the media on Friday at Roland Garros. “We have a great chemistry I think, coach/player relationship. That was evident every time we worked together.
“So I think after I had a break because I got sick, I wanted to come back in a really authentic way. I reached out. Didn’t necessarily know where it was going or how it was going to come about, and everything happened very quickly, as he was still at the academy. They were very accommodating in the sense when I went to train there and also him being able to start so soon.”
Asked about the term of the commitment, Raducanu said they plan to finish the season together, regardless of results. That’s a big change from the last few years, which have seen Raducanu shuffle from coach to coach in an effort to grow her game.
“[We will be] working together for the rest of the year, which is a good thing. I think consistency is needed,” she said.
“I think regardless of the results, I want to for sure just commit and give everything I can. I think it’s been working really well so far, since I started returning to training.”
Raducanu, who has suffered from post-viral syndrome over the last three months, will face Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the first round.
Asked if the initial firing of Richardson was judged a mistake in retrospect, Raducanu answered frankly:
“I think at that time it was very difficult to say I made a mistake, because in my life everything changed upside down, and I didn’t really think I had the most handle over the situation in the sense that I was being pulled left, right. I didn’t really know what was going on.
“I think everything also happened very quickly then. I think what it taught me was, a lot of experiences over the last few years, it taught me a lot of what I didn’t want, and it taught me that I really just value having people that I trust and connect with around me. So it’s really nice to have that feeling back.”
Chris Oddo is a freelance sportswriter, podcaster, blogger and social media marker who is a lead contributor to Tennisnow.com. He also writes for USOpen.org, Rolandgarros.com, BNPParibasOpen.com, TennisTV.com, WTAtennis.com and the official US Open program.
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