British tennis player Emma Raducanu reached her first-ever grass-court final at the HSBC Championships last week, just a month after reuniting with her former coach, Andrew Richardson. Notably, it was under Richardson that Raducanu captured the 2021 US Open title, fueling hopes that the partnership could spark another successful chapter in her career. Weighing in on the coaching reunion, former British No. 1 John Lloyd believes the duo should never have parted ways in the first place.

“No idea why it ended in the first place, that was the most illogical thing I’ve seen for years,” Lloyd told Tennis365. “But they’re back now, so that’s the main thing, and she played great [at Queen’s], and she’s going to move up those rankings. She’s damn good.”

Raducanu and Richardson parted ways in September 2021 as she sought a coach with greater WTA experience. However, instead of building on her US Open breakthrough, the Brit struggled with injuries, inconsistent form, and a revolving door of coaches. In other words, her career went nowhere since Richardson — who helped get her into the limelight in the first place — left.

She has not won a title since her 2021 US Open triumph, with her best Grand Slam result since then being a fourth-round run at Wimbledon in 2024. This season has been a mixed one for Raducanu. While she reached the finals of the Transylvania Open and HSBC Championships, she also suffered early exits at the year’s first two majors and holds an 11-10 record. After parting ways with coach Francisco Roig following the Australian Open and recovering from a viral infection, Raducanu reunited with Richardson in May. The move helped her climb back to World No. 32 and reach the Queen’s Club final, where she fell to Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-0, 7-6. However, that momentum was interrupted just weeks before Wimbledon.

Raducanu was initially scheduled to play the Nottingham Open this week, but withdrew after deciding to work on her training schedule instead. The 23-year-old has since also pulled out of the Eastbourne Open, which begins on June 22, choosing instead to focus on training with Richardson ahead of Wimbledon. Raducanu believes the extra preparation time will be more valuable than additional match practice. Many, however, believe that Raducanu shouldn’t have backed out of these two tournaments.

Raducanu had the opportunity to continue her strong run of form ahead of Wimbledon and potentially claim her maiden grass-court title. Reaching the Queen’s Club final was a significant boost to her confidence heading into the season’s third Grand Slam. The Brit enjoyed an impressive run at the tournament, defeating experienced opponents such as Sorana Cîrstea and Iva Jovic on her way to the final. She could have had a similar run in Nottingham and at the Eastbourne Open.

At the Queen’s Club, Raducanu was considered the favorite against Vekic, who had entered the main draw as a lucky loser following Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk‘s withdrawal. However, the Croatian stunned the home crowd by bageling Raducanu in the opening set in just 28 minutes. The Brit was visibly frustrated after losing 16 of the first 21 points and appeared to vent her emotions toward her coaching box.

Emma Raducanu snaps at Andrew Richardson during Queen’s final

Raducanu’s frustration spilled on the court during the opening game of the second set. “Say something, you’re saying nothing,” she was heard saying to Richardson, as reported by The Athletic.

She was already a set down after losing the opener 6-0 to the Croatian. But despite a slow start to the second set, Raducanu bounced back brilliantly and raced to a 5-2 lead. It appeared the match was headed for a deciding third set, but Vekic had other plans. She capitalized on Raducanu’s vulnerable serve and turned the set on its head, taking a 6-5 lead.

Vekic held match points in the 12th game, but Raducanu refused to go down without a fight. She forced the set into a tiebreak, but that was as far as she would go. Vekic proved to be the stronger player, clinching the breaker 8-6 to become the first WTA player to win a WTA 500 title as a lucky loser.

Having skipped multiple tournaments to focus on her Wimbledon preparations, Raducanu will be aiming for a deep run at the Grand Slam. It remains to be seen whether she can surpass her previous best and advance beyond the fourth round for the first time at the tournament.