Emma’s risky move: Corretja reveals the hidden problem lurking after Raducanu rehires Andrew Richardson

Corretja identifies a potential issue with Raducanu’s coaching reunion

Emma Raducanu is set to begin her French Open campaign with Andrew Richardson back on her coaching team.

Raducanu, who recently brought back the coach that helped her win the 2021 US Open, is hoping the move can spark a return to form after a difficult spell.

Her decision came after a first-round exit in Strasbourg, another setback in what’s been a challenging year for the 23-year-old.

This season has seen Raducanu post a 7-8 record so far. Her best result came in Romania, where she reached the final but couldn’t come away with the title.

And ahead of this year’s French Open, former world number two Alex Corretja has raised questions about whether adding Richardson back into the fold will bring immediate results.

Corretja weighs in on Raducanu’s return to Richardson

TNT Sports reported Corretja as saying: “Well, it’s a very significant move, you know, because she’s going back to where she felt the best in her career.

“So it’s a surprising move, and I didn’t see it coming, but I also understand it at the same time.

“The situation with Emma, is the fact that what she’s done, it’s… it’s nearly impossible, it was unthinkable what she did at the US Open a few years back.

“Hopefully she could find, like, a good balance and a good consistency on her game, and especially on her fitness, both mentally and physically, I think that’s the key – that’s where she’s really struggled.

“Emotionally, it might not be easy to… to swallow everything that happened to her some years ago. She went from zero to a thousand in a couple of weeks, and that’s very, very difficult to deal with.”

Corretja believes Raducanu’s coaching move could pay off

On the reunion with Richardson, the Spaniard said: “Well, the person that helped her to achieve that goal is back.

“I think now she should take time to understand the process again, and I think she’s around 37 or 38 in the rankings, something like that, so… she’s still… she’s still there, but she… I mean, she has time, definitely.

“She’s still very young, and… she’s the only one who knows exactly what she’s been through, and what she needs to do to keep on improving.

“But Andy [Richardson] is the one that lived her best moments with her, so psychologically that will be a huge boost. I mean, she definitely has the game.

“She has the ability, so there is no reason why she could not be at top 10 again. I’m not so sure if it’s this year or not, but why not? I mean, there are young girls that they’re doing very well right now that might motivate her as well to do well, on, on her side.”

While Corretja believes Raducanu has it in her to return to elite status someday, he stopped short of predicting it would happen in 2026.