A few weeks before the start of the French Open in Paris, tennis star Emma Raducanu presented an old acquaintance, Andrew Richardson, as her new coach. During the Brit’s Grand Slam comeback in Paris, her 52-year-old compatriot had to watch as the 23-year-old was swept off the court by Argentine Solana Sierra in the first round.
“It was difficult. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet, so it’s difficult for me to talk about the game now,” Emma Raducanu struggled for words after the 0:6, 6:7 (4:7) defeat against number 68 in the women’s tennis world in Paris: “I think I simply had too little match practice and too little self-confidence before the tournament.”
Just a few weeks ago, the British tennis ace celebrated her comeback at the WTA tournament in Strasbourg after last appearing on the court in Indian Wells at the beginning of March. Raducanu was then slowed down by illness and a wrist injury. She also suffered from post-viral syndromes. Symptoms range from chronic fatigue and sleep disorders to exercise intolerance and muscle pain.
Tennis: Paris debacle “will help me”
In Paris, the 23-year-old actually wanted to attack again, but had no chance against Sierra. “The first set went by super quickly, and it’s not a nice feeling when the points and the games go by very, very quickly. I’m glad that I was able to win at least a few games in the second set,” said Raducanu, who produced 42 unforced errors.
But there was still something positive to be gained from her French Open embarrassment: “I think it will help me. I haven’t played any games, and of course it’s very difficult to come in towards the end of the clay court season without having played any games, while these girls are playing tournament after tournament and gaining self-confidence and winnings. So I think that was pretty tricky for me.”
“The only way to face my situation and improve is to get through the difficult phases, endure the pain and hopefully come out of it stronger and better,” added the number 39 on the WTA seed list. An old acquaintance, Andrew Richardson, who was recently introduced as her new trainer, is supposed to help her.
. With the 52-year-old Brit at her side, the tennis star sensationally won the US Open in 2021 as a qualifier. Afterwards, many trainers came and went.
