Coach who led Emma Raducanu to 2021 US Open title opens up on failed contract extension negotiations

Emma Raducanu’s former coach, Andrew Richardson, has opened up about his split from the 20-year-old.

The former British tennis player-turned-coach led Raducanu to her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open. He stated he had a plan for the youngster and wanted to continue with their association when he was informed that he was out of contract.

Andrew Richardson coached Emma Raducanu from ages 11 to 13 and had joined her team again on a nine-week trial after the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The British youngster was then ranked around 200 in the world. She became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at the US Open.

Two weeks after the victory, Raducanu announced her split from Richardson. The 2021 US Open stated she needed someone “more experienced” since winning the Slam.

Richardson recently revealed that he was keen to renegotiate after the US Open triumph.

“The fact of the matter is that I had a nine-week trial contract that both Emma and I thought was a good idea to see how we would get on, and it ran through to the end of the US Open, stopping immediately afterward,” explained Richardson to the Daily Mail.

“There was a period of time after that when I was keen to renegotiate the contract. I wanted to carry on, and I had a plan that I wanted to put in place for Emma.”

The 49-year-old also dismissed rumors about him coaching his son while stating that he learned a lot from his experience with Raducanu and is very busy now.

“This thing about ‘I wanted to go off and coach my son’ is not true, but it seems to come up all the time. After probably 10 days to two weeks (following the US Open), I didn’t have a contract.

“We were in the process of renegotiating, and then I got a brief call from her agent telling me they were going to go in a different direction, and that was the end of it.

“I certainly learned a lot from the whole experience. Life has moved on, and I’m very busy.”

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Emma Raducanu drops out of top 100 in WTA rankings due to injuries

Emma Raducanu out of top 100 after having three surgeries

Former World No. 10 Emma Raducanu has been plagued with injuries ever since her 2021 US Open triumph. The Brit has failed to win a single title since her maiden Slam victory.

She was recently forced to withdraw from the 2023 Madrid Open, later revealing she needs surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle. As a result, she will miss the ongoing 2023 Italian Open as well as both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Due to her absence from the court, Raducanu has slipped to World No. 103 in the latest WTA rankings.

Emma Raducanu recently took to her social media to update fans on her recovery process.

She shared a bunch of pictures of herself relaxing with friends and family while binging on chocolates and her favorite foods.