US Open 2021 - 'Everything starts with the mind' - Andrew Richardson on Emma Raducanu's greatest strength
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Updated 15/09/2021 at 13:17 GMT
Emma Raducanu has become Britain's number one after surging up from No. 150 in the world to 23 in the latest WTA rankings. She did so on the back of her stunning triumph at the US Open, which she won without dropping a set. And her coach Andrew Richardson says her greatest strength could be her “mind”.
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Emma Raducanu’s coach has hailed the Brit’s extraordinary US Open success by saying her mental strength was key to her winning the title.
The 18-year-old ended a 44-year wait for a British female winner at a Grand Slam and became the first qualifier to win a major in tennis history with her 6-4 6-3 victory over fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday evening.
47-year-old Andrew Richardson joined Raducanu’s team shortly after Wimbledon, guiding her through the American hard court swing, which saw her compete at the Silicon Valley Classic and make the final of the Chicago Challenger on her way to a stunning triumph at Flushing Meadows.
“For me, the biggest strength she has is the mind,” Richardson said.
Raducanu did not drop a set in any of her ten matches - including qualifiers - during the tournament.
I think everything starts with the mind and the strength she has shown throughout the trip; and the resilience she has showed (sic).
The pair have worked together in various capacities since Raducanu was 10 years old, and it has been revealed that Richardson set out targets for her that were not purely based on results.
Asked about whether there had been discussions between the pair about what the future holds, Richardson said:
I’m sure when we get back to England, we’ll sit down and see what the plans are, so we’ll see.
“This is obviously a moment that doesn’t happen very often so I’m going to enjoy that, and I think she should as well,” he added.
With her US Open victory, Raducanu has jumped from 150th to 23rd place in the WTA rankings, after earning a record 2040 points during her time in New York.
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