Less than two weeks after her incredible, historic run at the US Open, Emma Raducanu has split with her coach.
Raducanu, the 18-year-old who won the US Open earlier this month after entering as a qualifier, split with her coach, Andrew Richardson on Friday.
Richardson, a former Davis Cup player, had coached Raducanu for two years when she was competing at the youth level, and joined her on a short-term deal ahead of the US Open.
“At the time, I thought Andrew would be a great coach to trial so we went to the States but never did I even dream of winning the U.S. Open and having the run I did, and now I’m ranked No. 22 in the world, which is crazy to me,” she said, via The Associated Press.
Raducanu beat Leylah Fernandez in straight sets to win the US Open earlier this month, which made her the first qualifier in tournament history to do so. She didn’t drop a single set in the entire tournament, either, in what was a truly dominant run through Arthur Ashe Stadium.
She is now ranked No. 22 in the world, despite the US Open being her second grand slam event ever.
That immediate rise, she said, was a big part in why she wanted to split with Richardson. Though she doesn’t have a new coach in mind, she knows that she wants someone who can help her navigate the highest level of tennis.
“I’m looking for someone who has been at that level and knows what it takes,” she said, via The Associated Press. “And especially right now because I’m so new to it, I really need someone to guide me who’s already been through that.”
