September 24, (THEWILL) – Sensational record-setting tennis star Emma Raducanu has split from coach Andrew Richardson, who brought her this far, and will seek a more experienced coach to aid her in the next stage of her career after her shock US Open triumph this month.
Richardson, a former British tennis professional, who guided Raducanu to victory in New York, had previously coached her at the Bromley Tennis Centre. With her stunning win at just her second ever Grand Slam, the teenage British star believes that she now needs a coach with more Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour experience to enable her to build on a breakthrough success.
The 18-year-old explained the move: “Where I was at after Wimbledon, I was ranked around 200 in the world and at the time I thought Andrew would be a great coach to trial. We went to the States but never did I even dream of winning the US Open and having the run I did; now I’m ranked 22 in the world, which is pretty crazy to me.
“I feel like at this stage in my career, and playing the top players in the world, I realized I really need someone right now that has had that WTA Tour experience at the high levels. Especially right now because I’m so new to it, I really need someone to guide me who’s already been through that.”
The Canadian-born emerged from qualifying to take a remarkable victory at the 2021 US Open. She prevailed over fellow teenager Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in a thrilling final, in the All-Teenager Final.
It is the second time she is separating from a coach. The Brit had reached the fourth round of her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon, after which she parted ways with her previous coach Nigel Sears.
Recalling some of the moments of hey victory, she said: “In America, I was in such a bubble and zone that I didn’t really know or understand what was going on outside of it. I was just so focused. Me and my team were taking care of every day.
“It takes some adjusting to play big matches. There may be nerves before you go out to play the match but once you’re on there it feels like any other match. The first time I watched [the final] back I skipped all the bad bits. I just wanted to see what was going on from a spectators point of view. It was really cool to watch and it helped let the victory sink in a bit more.
“I’ve had many cool opportunities, but the best moment was the moment after the final when me and the team had a really nice meal together reflecting on the fortnight we’d had.”
The 18-year-old, who only obtained a strong set of A-Level results this summer, said that she would also like to attend university: “I am definitely interested at some point in going to university. I’m pretty interested in economics. My parents have both been in the industry so I’ll probably follow that.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
