Emma Raducanu decided to make a coaching change before the start of Roland Garros.
She brought back Andrew Richardson, the same coach who was with her during her surprise US Open title run in 2021.
Raducanu has had a tough season so far, exiting early in most tournaments and still looking for a consistent stretch of good form.
The lead-up to the French Open hasn’t helped either. She’s played only one clay-court match, which ended in a first-round loss to Diane Parry at Strasbourg.
This will be just her third appearance at Roland Garros, and there isn’t much expectation around her chances. Even Tim Henman has admitted he doesn’t see Raducanu making a deep run this time around.
Tim Henman’s French Open hopes are low for Raducanu
Speaking to Tennis 365, Henman said: “I really hope, first and foremost, that Emma’s fit and healthy. That has to be the No 1 priority.
“To have Andrew Richardson back in Emma’s corner is good news, and now I hope everyone shows a bit of patience.
“I hope she sticks with him because she needs some consistency and continuity, and that will come with matches on court.
“You need to build up that physical resilience to compete at the highest level and she needs to build momentum on the match court.”
Discussing Richardson, Henman added: “He’s very understated and he’s got a great knowledge in the game.
“He was a good player himself and he’s known Emma for many, many years since she was young. They’ve obviously got the history from the US Open, so it will be interesting to see how it all evolves.
“Clay’s the toughest surface for her, so I’m not expecting a great deal at Roland Garros as grass is a much better surface for her.”
Emma Raducanu’s French Open results from last season
Raducanu has never made it past the second round at Roland Garros, a stage she reached again last year.
She started with a win over Wang Xinyu before losing heavily to Iga Swiatek in her next match. This year, Raducanu begins against Solana Sierra, another first-time opponent for her on the WTA Tour.
If she moves through that, she’ll then face either Jasmine Paolini or Dayana Yastremska in the second round.
Raducanu hasn’t added another title to her record since that breakthrough win at the 2021 US Open.
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