When Andrew Richardson chose to return to coach Emma Raducanu, most heralded the decision.
After all, it saw her reunite with the man who had led her to the greatest triumph in her career: the US Open title in 2021.
For many, this marked a no-brainer, with most arguing that she should never have split with him in the first place.
However, John Lloyd has now reacted to the decision from a unique perspective, arguing that Richardson might have done well to question Emma Raducanu’s motivations in all of this.
Speaking to Tennis365, the British pundit has not held back.
John Lloyd questions Andrew Richardson returning to coach Emma Raducanu
Offering an opinion which even he admitted was likely an unpopular one, Lloyd argued: “Well, I mean, no one else has said this, so I’ll probably get in trouble… but to be honest, if I was Andrew Richardson, I would have thought long and hard accepting to come back.
“After what happened at the US Open… that, to me, was mind-boggling. And then she comes back to him when she needs help.
How far do you think Emma Raducanu will go at Wimbledon after watching her at Queen’s?
“But whatever, that’s another topic, and that’s for them to see that they’ve worked it out, and they’re fine. I just hope that she sticks with him and gives him a fair chance.”
He then went on to question Raducanu’s coaching decision-making over the years, adding: I said at one stage it was like Watford [the football team] of having a revolving door of coaches. It doesn’t work. So hopefully, there will be a bit of longevity here.
“And Andrew’s very good at what he does, he’s had big success with her, and she obviously feels comfortable.
“No idea why it ended in the first place — that was the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years.
All of Emma Raducanu’s 2026 grass-court results before Wimbledon
- Raducanu d. Blinkova, 6-0, 6-3, Queen’s Round of 32
- Raducanu d. Cirstea, 6-4, 6-2, Queens Round of 16
- Raducanu d. Rakhimova, 6-3, 7-5, Queen’s Quarter-finals
- Raducanu d. Jovic, 6-2, 6-2, Queen’s semi-final
- Vekic d. Raducanu, 6-0, 7-6, Queen’s final
“But they’re back now, so that’s the main thing, and she played great [at Queen’s], and she’s going to move up those rankings — she’s damn good.”
Raducanu re-hired Richardson earlier this year and has already reached a final under his guidance.
Andy Roddick questions Emma Raducanu’s decision right before Wimbledon
Following on from that sensational run to the final at Queen’s, Raducanu made the decision not to play Nottingham.
This irked Andy Roddick, who argued on his podcast: “I promise you, I know the importance of winning before a Grand Slam. In 2003, I played the busiest schedule of my career: I won 12 matches in 13 days to win Masters 1000 titles, then followed that with the US Open.
“Sometimes I prefer to sacrifice a bit of physical freshness or accept some fatigue to get that confidence that can make a difference in big events.
Do you think Emma Raducanu has made a good decision with this hire?
Could you see her winning another Grand Slam title alongside Andrew Richardson?
“At some point, she’s going to have to play a lot of tennis, right? Not just for one week. If I were her coach and she was healthy, I’d tell her to go for it.
“Keep going at Nottingham. If you reach another semifinal or another final, do you suddenly become one of the top ten favourites to win Wimbledon?
“Of course. That’s how everyone goes into a Grand Slam. And don’t forget she played very well there last year.”
Since then, Raducanu has also withdrawn from Eastbourne, meaning that last week’s performance at Queen’s will be her sole grass-court event before Wimbledon.
