Gearing up for a return in Rome, Raducanu has reportedly enlisted the help of the coach who guided her to the US Open title.
Emma Raducanu reportedly seen working with Andrew Richardson in Spain
During the latest episode of ‘The Tennis Podcast‘, Catherine Whittaker shared the following update.
We have been contacted by a Tennis Podcast listener who tells us that they have seen Emma Raducanu training with Andrew Richardson, the coach with whom she won the US Open in 2021,” she said.
This very much came out of the blue and into my email inbox,” added David Law.
“We were told where this took place, where she was seen practicing with Andrew Richardson in Spain, and this information does tally with where we understand where Richardson is based for a few years now, basically since he finished coaching Emma Raducanu, coaching his son as the head coach there.
“We have not had this information confirmed and also even if it is confirmed we don’t know if it’s a meaningful development, other than they may just be practicing together for a bit.”
Law then shared what happened when he asked Raducanu’s representative for comment.
“I did put it to Raducanu’s representative a couple of times in messages over the last week, just to ask if it was accurate and see if there was any comment on it, and I have not had any response to it, despite them seemingly being read,” he said.
“Most the time I do get a response from that particular agent, so whether you can read anything into that, who can say?
“That’s all we can say right now, as we haven’t been able to get more on it, but it hasn’t been shot down either, so it’s one to keep an eye out for.”
Raducanu has been widely criticised for her ‘coaching merry-go-round’, hiring and firing coaches at will.
Spain’s Francisco Roig was the latest to leave the team, as he split from Raducanu after just six months in January.
The 23-year-old then teamed up with LTA coach Alexis Canter.
Rehiring Richardson could prove to be a stroke of genius, given the success they enjoyed at the US Open five years ago.
Or, you could argue it’s another panic-led decision, rather than a long-term, well thought-out plan.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’s joined forces with a former coach, doing the same with Mark Petchey earlier this year.
That move was another short-term fix, as Petchey is unwilling to become Raducanu’s full-time coach.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Raducanu and Richardson, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on over the coming months.
Can Emma Raducanu challenge at the Italian Open?
Assuming she is fit to compete, Raducanu will travel to Rome as the 27th seed.