Raducanu Reunites With Coach Richardson for Rome
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- Emma Raducanu has returned to working with Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to the 2021 US Open as a qualifier, ahead of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome which begins Tuesday, May 5
- Raducanu's camp confirmed she trained with Richardson last week at the Ferrer Tennis Academy near Alicante, Spain, where he is based, though it is understood there are no plans for the two to work together during clay season or beyond
- The 23-year-old last played at Indian Wells, winning just two games in a 52-minute defeat to Amanda Anisimova, and has since withdrawn from Miami, Linz, the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Australia, and the Madrid Open due to post-viral symptoms dating back to an illness in Romania in early February
- Raducanu split from Francisco Roig after a second-round Australian Open exit and had been working informally with Mark Petchey, while retaining hitting partner Alexis Canter and now also practising in Rome with coach Jane O'Donoghue
- Tim Henman said Raducanu does not need a coach and should instead focus on building physicality to match Sabalenka, Swiatek, Rybakina and Gauff, noting 'coaches don't last long working with Emma'
- The reunion is a boost for British tennis as Jack Draper sits out the rest of the clay-court season with a knee injury
Why it matters: With no plans for the Richardson reunion to extend beyond Rome and a string of brief coaching appointments since 2021, Raducanu's perpetual re-evaluation continues to define her career arc. For British tennis, her return offers a rare bright spot as Jack Draper sits out the clay season with a knee injury.
