Emma Raducanu has hired Andrew Richardson ahead of her return to tennis.
The 2021 US Open champion has called upon the services of the man who guided her to that title five years ago.
They will ‘resume’ their coaching relationship at next week’s WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, Raducanu’s first tournament since Indian Wells in March.
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?
Reacting to the news, former British number one Tim Henman delivered his verdict on Raducanu’s latest coaching hire.
Tim Henman ‘hopes’ Emma Raducanu and Andrew Richardson’s new partnership lasts longer than their first
During Sky Sports’ Italian Open coverage, Henman shared his thoughts.
“Back with Andrew Richardson, they had an incredible run in America all those years ago, and stopped working after that,” he said.
“She’s been through a lot of coaches between now and then.
“I think it’s great that Andrew is back to support Emma.
“All I can say is I really hope it lasts a bit longer, because they obviously have a relationship from the past.
“Emma obviously trusts Andrew and I think that consistency and continuity is really important, especially at this time of year.
“We’ve got the French Open coming up, but then the grass court season, where the spotlight is going to be at its most intense pre-Wimbledon and at Wimbledon.”
Raducanu remains the biggest star in British tennis and will be expected to deliver at her home tournaments this summer.
Perhaps with Richardson by her side, she can do just that.
You could argue that Raducanu made a mistake replacing Richardson in the first place
The Briton decided against giving Richardson a full-time position, despite winning the US Open together during their trial.
Thus began the well-documented Raducanu coaching carousel…
Emma Raducanu’s coaching timeline
Raducanu does not stay with coaches for long.
Since 2021, Raducanu has hired and fired several big names, including Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig.
| Dates | Coach |
| May – July 2021 | Nigel Sears |
| July – September 2021 | Andrew Richardson |
| November 2021 – April 2022 | Torben Beltz |
| July 2022 – October 2022 | Dmitry Tursunov |
| December 2022 – June 2023 | Sebastian Sachs |
| January 2024 – January 2025 | Nick Cavaday |
| February 2025 – March 2025 | Vladimir Platenik |
| March 2025 – July 2025 | Mark Petchey |
| August 2025 – January 2026 | Francisco Roig |
| May 2026 – | Andrew Richardson |
Their partnership showed promise late last year, but they split following a disappointing Australian Open campaign.
Henman ‘hopes’ Raducanu gives Richardson more time, and she would be wise to do just that.
If she is to fulfil the potential she showed at the US Open five years ago, she can’t keep changing coaches when things go wrong.
The best player/coach relationships have been full of ups and downs.
Yes, there’s nothing wrong with moving on when a partnership has run its course, but Raducanu must show more perseverance.
Will she do so? Only time will tell…
Raducanu and Richardson will play their first tournament together in Strasbourg next week.
