Former British No.1 Believes Emma Raducanu Made a “Mind-Boggling” Mistake in Her Career

Former British No.1 John Lloyd has criticized Emma Raducanu’s decision to part ways with Andrew Richardson after winning the 2021 US Open. Raducanu reunited with Richardson in April, over four years after their split. Lloyd believes that it played a viral role in Raducanu’s drop in form over the years.

When Raducanu was under the guardianship of Richardson in 2021, she was ranked outside the Top 100 in the WTA rankings. The 23-year-old had managed to get a wildcard at the Wimbledon Championships and impressed at the event. That gave her the confidence she needed to compete at the US Open as a qualifier.

The British became the first qualifier to win the US Open, winning 10 matches without dropping a set. Her remarkable achievement was widely celebrated off the court, attracting sponsorship and endorsement deals. At the peak of her fame, she decided to part ways with Richardson.

The reason behind the decision at that time was to seek a more experienced coach, someone who would help her continue to grow on tour, but that didn’t happen. Raducanu struggled with injuries and form, which led to her dropping outside the Top 200 by the end of the 2023 season, over two years after her US Open success.

She partnered with more than five coaches from 2021 to this season before reuniting with Richardson during the clay-court season. Last week, Raducanu reached the final of the Queen’s Club Championships before losing the title to Donna Vekic in straight sets. In an interview with Tennis365, Lloyd revealed that Raducanu’s decision to part ways with Richardson in 2021 was mind-boggling:

Well, I mean, no one else has said this, so I’ll probably get in trouble… but to be honest, if I was Andrew Richardson, I would have thought long and hard before accepting to come back. After what happened at the US Open… that, to me, was mind-boggling. And then she comes back to him when she needs help. But whatever, that’s another topic, and that’s for them to see that they’ve worked it out, and they’re fine.

Raducanu was scheduled to compete at this week’s Berlin Tennis Open but withdrew due to a niggle. However, she will feature at the Wimbledon Championships in London, a tournament at which she has reached the round of 16 twice. It was at the All England Club that she got to her first Grand Slam fourth round.

John Lloyd hopes Emma Raducanu sticks with Andrew Richardson for a long time

Emma Raducanu has worked with five different permanent coaches, as well as a host of others on a trial or short-term basis, since 2021. Her frequent change of coaches has created more problems than solutions, as she often dabbles between different styles of play and yet doesn’t master any of them.

During the aforementioned interview, John Lloyd, who reached a career-high of World No.23, pointed out that he hopes Raducanu sticks with Andrew Richardson for a long time:

I just hope that she sticks with him and gives him a fair chance. I said at one stage it was like Watford [the football team] of having a revolving door of coaches. It doesn’t work. So hopefully, there will be a bit of longevity here. And Andrew’s very good at what he does, he’s had big success with her, and she obviously feels comfortable. No idea why it ended in the first place — that was the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years.

Raducanu acknowledged at Roland Garros that she had made several mistakes in her career in the past. However, it is one thing to acknowledge them, and it is another thing to ensure she doesn’t repeat them again on tour, as that will help solidify her game and have a foundation for progress.

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