Emma Raducanu splits with coach who guided her to stunning US Open triumph as she seeks experienced replacement
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Updated 24/09/2021 at 18:24 GMT
Qualifier Raducanu was guided to her shock win in New York by former British professional Andrew Richardson but has now split with the 47-year-old. The news came after Raducanu played alongside Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, at a homecoming event for Britain's four US Open champions at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
Kate Middleton plays tennis with Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu has announced that she has split from coach Andrew Richardson and will seek a more experienced coach to aid her in the next stage of her career after her shock US Open triumph.
The teenage British star was guided to victory in New York by former British tennis professional Richardson, who had previously coached her at the Bromley Tennis Centre
However despite the stunning win at just her second Grand Slam, Raducanu believes that she now needs a coach with more Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour experience to enable her to build on a breakthrough success.
"Where I was at after Wimbledon, I was ranked around 200 in the world and at the time I thought Andrew would be a great coach to trial," Raducanu explained.
"We went to the States but never did I even dream of winning the US Open and having the run I did; now I'm ranked 22 in the world, which is pretty crazy to me.
"I feel like at this stage in my career, and playing the top players in the world, I realised I really need someone right now that has had that WTA Tour experience at the high levels.
"Especially right now because I'm so new to it, I really need someone to guide me who's already been through that."
The 18-year-old emerged from qualifying to take a remarkable victory at the 2021 US Open, prevailing over Canada's Leylah Fernandez in a thrilling final.
Raducanu also reached the fourth round of her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon, after which she parted ways with her previous coach Nigel Sears.
At a homecoming event for Raducanu and Britain's three other US Open champions, the Bromley-based star played alongside Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Joe Salisbury, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid were also in attendance at the Lawn Tennis Association's National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, London.
Raducanu also faced a mock-up of her championship-winning serve, delivered from a ball machine.
Unlike Fernandez, Raducanu was able to return it - perhaps aided by having a degree of familiarity with its direction.
"In America, I was in such a bubble and zone that I didn't really know or understand what was going on outside of it. I was just so focused," Raducanu said on the BBC. "Me and my team were taking care of every day.
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"It takes some adjusting to play big matches. There may be nerves before you go out to play the match but once you're on there it feels like any other match.
The first time I watched [the final] back I skipped all the bad bits. I just wanted to see what was going on from a spectators point of view. It was really cool to watch and it helped let the victory sink in a bit more.
"I've had many cool opportunities, but the best moment was the moment after the final when me and the team had a really nice meal together reflecting on the fortnight we'd had."
Raducanu also suggested that she would like to attend university after achieving a strong set of A-Level results this summer.
"I am definitely interested at some point in going to university. I'm pretty interested in economics.
"My parents have both been in the industry so I'll probably follow that."
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