John McEnroe has voiced his support for Emma Raducanu's decision to rehire Andrew Richardson as her coach, having previously described their initial split as 'nonsensical'. Richardson was the coach when Raducanu made history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2021.
Raducanu parted ways with Richardson shortly after that triumph, citing a need for a coach with more WTA Tour experience. However, after a series of short-term appointments, she has now reunited with Richardson, whom she also worked with as a junior. The pair linked up ahead of the Strasbourg tournament this week.
McEnroe, a former world number one and TNT Sports pundit, expressed his surprise at the original decision. 'I was amazed that she got rid of the coach in the first place. Why the hell would you get rid of your coach a couple of weeks or a month after you won the US Open? I never understood that,' he said.
Raducanu's progress has been hampered by physical issues, including a post-viral illness that kept her off court for two-and-a-half months. She lost to France's Diane Parry in her opening match in Strasbourg, meaning she will enter the French Open with just one clay-court match under her belt. She is unseeded for the draw after dropping to 37th in the rankings.
McEnroe doubts she will make a significant impact in Paris but believes the reunion with Richardson could pay dividends at Wimbledon. 'To me, grass would clearly be her more comfortable opportunity against the top players. I don't see her as nearly as comfortable on clay,' he said. 'Is it too little, too late? She's still young. I would certainly think that the hope would be to have her, even though there's a lot more pressure on her in Wimbledon, that she would have a much better chance of doing something big there.'
