Emma Raducanu‘s victory at the US Open was nothing short of a fairy tale; the young player entered the tournament ranked 150th in the world and went on to become the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title. The victory catapulted her into the global spotlight, and the expectations for her future performances reached new heights.
However, Martina Hingis, a former world No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam singles champion, expressed concerns about Raducanu’s choices after her breakthrough victory. The most notable decision, according to Hingis, was Raducanu’s choice to part ways with her coach Andrew Richardson, who had guided her during the US Open.
Martina Hingis slams Emma Raducanu’s choice of parting ways with coach Andrew Richardson
Emma Raducanu, the British tennis sensation who captured the world’s attention with her stunning US Open triumph in 2021, has come under scrutiny from Swiss tennis legend Martina Hingis. Hingis believes that Raducanu hasn’t made “great choices” since her victory, particularly her decision to change her coach, Andrew Richardson, after the major win.
The decision to change coaches surprised many in the tennis world, as the partnership between Raducanu and Richardson had seemed to be a recipe for success. Following the split, Raducanu hired Torben Beltz, a renowned coach who previously worked with Angelique Kerber, as her new mentor. However, this partnership was short-lived, and Raducanu moved on to work with another former coach of Kerber, Wim Fissette, in December 2021.
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In an interview with the Mirror, Hingis mentioned, “I never met her so I don’t know exactly what goes through the head. It’s incredible she was able to win the US Open and, with all of the changes after that, I don’t think it was a great choice to do. When you win with someone, you usually continue, but I can’t judge what happened. It would be nice for her to find the way and to find her success again.”
Hingis believes that these coaching changes may not have been in Raducanu’s best interests, as the stability and consistency provided by Richardson could have been more beneficial for the young star. The Swiss legend emphasized the importance of a strong coach-player relationship, particularly for a player as young and inexperienced as Raducanu.
Hingis also talked about how other players are waiting to take Emma’s place
In the same interview, while talking about Emma, Hingis also spoke about how Emma is the whole package and she has the talent to make it again. She added further that to stay in the game, you need results, and if there are no results, then it would not matter. Further, she added that it does not matter that she won the US Open; it does not mean that this will be her only achievement for the rest of her life.
She also needs to do more. Hingis also says that there are many other girls out there who play well and are hungry for success. And if Emma does not get her game right, a lot of people can take her place.
