Raducanu splits from coach richardson

Emma Raducanu has split from her coach, less than two weeks after winning the US Open title as a qualifier. Andrew Richardson coached the teenage Briton for two years at youth level and

linked up with her again in July on a short-term deal for the duration of her time in the United States ahead of and during the US Open. The 18-year-old Briton said on Friday that she wants

a more experienced coach now that she will be playing in bigger events on the WTA Tour. "I'm looking for someone who has been at that level and knows what it takes," Raducanu

said. "And especially right now because I'm so new to it, I really need someone to guide me who's already been through that." Richardson is a former Davis Cup player for

Britain but has little experience of the WTA Tour. "At the time, I thought Andrew would be a great coach to trial, so we went to the States but never did I even dream of winning the US

Open and having the run I did," Raducanu said. "And now I'm ranked No. 22 in the world, which is pretty crazy to me." Raducanu said she didn't have a coach in mind

to replace Richardson and does not expect to make any decision until the end of the season. One of the names that will doubtless be bandied around as a possible coach for Raducanu is that of

the experienced Australian Darren Cahill, who is now a free agent after his split from Simona Halep. Raducanu is back in training after taking some time off following the U.S. Open and is

weighing up when to return to the tour, with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - one of the biggest events on tour - starting on October 6. "I'll decide in the next few days

where I'm going to go to but, wherever I play next, I'm going to make sure I'm ready," she said. "I don't want to jump into things too early." Raducanu was

speaking after British royal Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, had joined the new queen of tennis on court on Friday to celebrate the 'homecoming' of the country's US Open

winners. Raducanu joined forces with Kate, wife of Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince William, for a game of doubles at the special event, which was also attended by Alfie Hewett and

Gordon Reid, who won the men's wheelchair doubles in New York, and Joe Salisbury, men's doubles winner. A keen tennis player herself, Kate called the players' victories

"amazing" as she showed off her forehand in a navy tennis outfit for the knock-up at Britain's National Tennis Centre in southwest London. She is the patron of the Lawn Tennis

Association and often seen in the royal box at Wimbledon. Raducanu's win had also previously been saluted by Queen Elizabeth. Asked if she had more nerves playing Kate or her US Open

final opponent Leylah Fernandez, Raducanu said: "I was actually very nervous playing the duchess - I was like, 'Don't miss, don't miss!"' Raducanu said

Kate's forehand was "incredible." "I was very impressed. It was a lot of fun to play tennis with the duchess," she added. GET THE LATEST NEWS FROM THEWEST.COM.AU IN

YOUR INBOX. Sign up for our emails