Emma Raducanu has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout her career, ever since she did the unthinkable by winning the US Open in 2021.
It was, and still remains, one of the most extraordinary stories in tennis history, catapulting a relatively unknown youngster into instant superstardom.
It’s fair to say that in the years that have followed, the 22-year-old has struggled to live up to the weight of expectation that came with such a stunning shock result.
One of the biggest critiques of her conduct since then has been the frequency with which she has changed her coaches, with Raducanu recently parting ways with Francisco Roig, a well-respected figure whom many felt was a huge scalp for her.
However, what she has done since has earned praise, with Martina Navratilova giving her seal of approval.
Martina Navratilova reacts to Emma Raducanu’s new coach news
After all, whilst Raducanu is now working with a new coach, he is a decidedly familiar face to her.
She has decided to reunite with the man who helped guide her to that famous US Open triumph, Andrew Richardson.
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Navratilova took to social media to offer her thoughts, first reacting with a handful of applause emojis to commend the decision.
Then, when one commenter branded it a ‘good move’, she replied, stating: “I do too.”
When Martina Navratilova criticised Emma Raducanu’s coaching decisions
It seems like Navratilova may be a particular fan of this news, given her mild criticism of the Brit back in March earlier this year.
After all, whilst the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion was discussing Emma Raducanu’s career, she lamented the decision to keep changing coaches, a process that was started when she decided to part ways with Richardson after just winning the US Open together.
Navratilova argued: “You need somebody full-time.
Where do you think Emma Raducanu will finish 2026 ranked?
“You don’t need to have a great coach all the time. Maybe somebody even part-time, which is what she’s got.
“But you still have to stay consistent and get this person to get to know you, get the history and give them a chance to make a difference. You can’t expect results to come right away — that’s a long process.
“You need to buy into the coach and stay there for a little bit longer.
“I think that’s the biggest mistake — she’s been through too many people, and then you get so many different ideas, and you don’t quite know which one to stick with.”
