Emma Raducanu won't call it a mistake to leave coach Andrew Richardson, even after she rehired him following her US Open breakthrough. The pair initially reconnected in April for a four-day training block at the Ferrer Tennis Academy in Spain, where Richardson serves as tennis director. Raducanu initiated the reunion by texting him, and she now says they will work together through the end of the season.

Her first match under Richardson's full-time guidance ended in a straight-set loss to Diane Parry in Strasbourg. Arriving at Roland Garros having barely played in three months because of a lingering viral illness, Raducanu chose to compete on clay rather than skip the tournament. She said the competitive match practice and physical work on dirt would pay off for next year's clay-court campaign.

The rehiring reflects a pattern. Since her US Open run, Raducanu performs best surrounded by coaches she trusts implicitly. Richardson takes an old-school volume approach, building habits through repetition. Known as a "gentle giant" with a fiery competitive edge, his sparse but targeted practice input suits a player who wants to be challenged. Raducanu looks markedly more relaxed and focused than at the Australian Open, and she heads into her opening Roland Garros match against Sierra with that settled demeanour intact.