Emma Raducanu is turning back the clock—and it might just be the smartest move she's made in years. The 23-year-old British tennis star has officially reunited with the coach who guided her to that unforgettable 2021 U.S. Open title: Andrew Richardson.
Raducanu made the announcement on Friday, and for fans who remember her fairytale run in New York, this feels like a full-circle moment. "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," she said in a statement.
It's been a rollercoaster ride since that stunning victory over Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the 2021 final. Raducanu and Richardson parted ways just weeks after the triumph, and in the years since, she's cycled through a revolving door of coaches—Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov, Sebastian Sachs, Nick Cavaday, Francisco Roig, and Mark Petchey, to name a few. None of them could recapture the magic of that breakout moment.
The numbers tell a sobering story: in 13 Grand Slam appearances since her title, Raducanu hasn't made it past the third round. But there are signs of a resurgence. She reached the second round of the 2026 Australian Open and made it to the third round in three of the four Grand Slams in 2025. Currently ranked No. 30 in the WTA Tour singles rankings, she's showing the consistency that's been missing.
Now, with the clay-court season heating up, Raducanu has a golden opportunity to build momentum. The 2026 French Open—the year's second Grand Slam—runs from May 24 to June 7 in Paris. It's a surface that's given her trouble in the past; she's lost in the second round in both of her appearances at Roland Garros, including last year.
But before she steps onto the red clay in Paris, she's slated to compete at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, a WTA 500 event running from Sunday through May 23. It's a crucial clay-court tune-up, and after a hiatus of more than two months, it's the perfect place to test the renewed partnership with Richardson.
For tennis fans and gear enthusiasts alike, this reunion feels like a fresh start. If anyone can help Raducanu channel that 2021 energy, it's the coach who was there when it all began.
