Emma Raducanu famously captured the 2021 US Open title as the first qualifier in Grand Slam history to achieve such a feat.
In a notable reunion, Emma Raducanu has recently reconnected with Andrew Richardson, the coach who guided her to that unprecedented US Open victory as a teenage qualifier.
Ahead of her anticipated return to the tour in Rome next week, the 23-year-old engaged in a brief training period at the Ferrer Academy, situated near Benidorm in Spain.
Richardson currently holds the position of tennis director at the academy, which was established by David Ferrer, a former world number three and French Open finalist.
Raducanu’s representatives have stated that she sought to practice on European clay in preparation for upcoming tournaments. Her long-standing relationship with Richardson, who also provided coaching during her junior career, made the academy an appealing option.
As of now, there are no concrete plans for the pair to collaborate throughout the clay-court season or beyond.
Raducanu is scheduled to train at the Foro Italico in Rome on Saturday, with the hope of being fit to compete in the Italian Open the following week.
Emma Raducanu and Andrew Richardson (left) previously parted ways after her US Open triumph.
Raducanu was forced to withdraw from March’s Miami Open due to a viral illness and subsequently opted out of clay court events in Linz and Madrid to ensure a full recovery.
Consequently, her most recent appearance on the court was at Indian Wells in early March.
Since her split with coach Francisco Roig after the Australian Open, Raducanu has been relying on Alexis Canter for ongoing support.
During Indian Wells, she expressed an “open” mindset regarding the potential hiring of another full-time coach, while also acknowledging concerns about the intense scrutiny that accompanies any decisions she makes.
During Raducanu’s remarkable 2021 US Open victory, achieved without dropping a set as an 18-year-old qualifier, Richardson was present in the coaching box.
He had only stepped in to replace Nigel Sears after Wimbledon that summer. However, Raducanu and her family decided, following her spectacular triumph in New York, that a more experienced WTA coach was necessary, leading to the non-renewal of Richardson’s contract.
Raducanu is scheduled to practice with German player Eva Lys in Rome on Saturday lunchtime.
As a seeded player, she will receive a first-round bye, meaning she will not be required to play before Thursday.
Additional WTA tournaments are slated to take place in Strasbourg and Rabat in the week leading up to the French Open, which concludes the clay-court season and commences on May 24.
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