Emma Raducanu has rehired Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to a stunning US Open victory in 2021 as a teenage qualifier. The world No. 30 is set to return from a two-month injury layoff at the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, where she will begin her renewed partnership with the 52-year-old.
Raducanu briefly trained with Richardson at the Ferrer Academy in Spain last month, but initially stated they had no plans to extend their collaboration. However, she has now formally brought him back into her team, with the expectation that he will be in her corner for the French Open, Wimbledon, and beyond. 'Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time,' Raducanu said.
The British No. 1 has been without a permanent head coach since splitting with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open in January. She has since relied on hitting partner Alexis Canter and physiotherapist Emma Stewart for tournament support. Richardson has known Raducanu since she was 11 and coached her during her historic US Open run, but she opted not to continue with him afterward, seeking a coach with more WTA Tour experience.
Raducanu has faced scrutiny over her coaching decisions in recent years but has increasingly favoured trusted figures from her pre-US Open days. The 23-year-old has been sidelined since March due to a post-viral illness that forced her to withdraw from tournaments in Miami, Linz, Madrid, and Rome. She reached the final of the Transylvania Open in February but fell ill during the championship match, later retiring in Doha and suffering early exits in Dubai and Indian Wells.
She had hoped to return at the Italian Open but was not ready to compete despite travelling to Rome. Now, she is expected to make her comeback in Strasbourg with Richardson by her side before heading to Paris for the French Open.
