"Emma Raducanu has rehired Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped guide her to her sensational US Open triumph in 2021, on a formal basis as she prepares to return to competition next week in Strasbourg in the buildup to the French Open. Richardson will accompany Raducanu at the WTA 500 event as she competes for the first time in two months after being sidelined by post-viral illness."
"During the early days of her return to the courts, Raducanu travelled to Richardson's base at the Ferrer Academy in La Nucia, Spain, near Benidorm, for a clay-court training block that doubled as a trial period for a potential formal partnership. In a statement, Raducanu said: Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time."
"Raducanu and Richardson have a long history, with the pair first working together during her youth. Raducanu had been working with Nigel Sears at the beginning of her breakthrough summer in 2021, before joining forces with Richardson in the July. Their partnership yielded one of the biggest surprises in tennis history as Raducanu won the US Open that year as a qualifier without dropping a set."
"Less than two weeks later, Raducanu controversially chose not to extend her coaching partnership with Richardson, which had begun on a short-term interim basis. This decision generated significant discussion, with many suggesting it would have been beneficial for Raducanu to continue with a familiar face who had worked so successfully with her at a time when so much of her life had instantly changed. It was also one of the first of many coaching changes for Raducanu and she has since struggled to find the right person to guide her on a permanent basis."
Emma Raducanu has rehired Andrew Richardson on a formal basis as she prepares to return to competition next week in Strasbourg, building toward the French Open. Richardson will accompany her at the WTA 500 event as she competes for the first time in two months after being sidelined by post-viral illness. During her early return to training, Raducanu traveled to Richardson’s base at the Ferrer Academy in La Nucia, Spain, for a clay-court block that also served as a trial for a potential partnership. Raducanu previously worked with Richardson during her youth and again in July 2021, when they helped her win the US Open as a qualifier without dropping a set. She later chose not to extend the partnership, and subsequent coaching changes have followed as she searched for a permanent guide.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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