Emma Raducanu’s reunion with coach Andrew Richardson has prompted frank criticism from former British No 1 John Lloyd, who told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at the Queen’s Club Championships that her original decision to part ways with Richardson following her 2021 US Open victory was “the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years.”
Raducanu made history at that US Open as an 18-year-old ranked 150th in the world, winning all 10 matches across qualifying and the main draw without dropping a set to claim her only tour-level title to date. Richardson was her coach throughout that remarkable run, making the split that followed all the more puzzling to observers within the sport.
“No idea why it ended in the first place — that was the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years,” Lloyd told Tennis365. “And then she comes back to him when she needs help. But whatever, that’s another topic, and that’s for them to see that they’ve worked it out, and they’re fine.”
Lloyd, an Australian Open finalist who reached a career-high ranking of world No 23, did not hold back in his assessment of how Richardson himself should have responded. “If I was Andrew Richardson, I would have thought long and hard accepting to come back,” he said. “After what happened at the US Open… that, to me, was mind-boggling.”
In the years between the split and Richardson’s return, Raducanu worked with five different permanent coaches alongside a number of others on a trial or short-term basis — a pattern Lloyd compared to the managerial instability at English football club Watford. “I said at one stage it was like Watford of having a revolving door of coaches. It doesn’t work,” he said.
Richardson was rehired ahead of Raducanu’s return to competitive action in Strasbourg last month, following a spell of more than two months on the sidelines due to a viral illness. She lost in the first round in both Strasbourg and at Roland Garros, but her form improved sharply at Queen’s Club, where she defeated Anna Blinkova, Sorana Cirstea, Kamilla Rakhimova, and Iva Jovic in straight sets before falling to Donna Vekic in the final of the WTA 500 grass-court event.
Despite the defeat in the championship match, Lloyd expressed optimism about what the Queen’s Club run could signal for the 23-year-old’s trajectory. “She played great [at Queen’s], and she’s going to move up those rankings — she’s damn good,” he said. “Andrew’s very good at what he does, he’s had big success with her, and she obviously feels comfortable.”
Lloyd’s primary concern now is consistency in the coaching relationship. “I just hope that she sticks with him and gives him a fair chance. So hopefully, there will be a bit of longevity here,” he added.
Raducanu’s Queen’s Club final appearance came in just her third event since Richardson rejoined her team, raising expectations ahead of Wimbledon, where she will be looking to build on the grass-court momentum. Her ranking is set to rise following the Queen’s run, with the implications for her Wimbledon seeding and draw likely to become clearer in the coming days. According to reports, Alex Eala has since overtaken Raducanu in the WTA rankings following a recent result, underlining the competitive context Raducanu faces as she seeks to re-establish herself among the sport’s elite.
