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Maria Sharapova's former coach Michael Joyce recently gave his thoughts on Emma Raducanu parting ways with her coach Andrew Richardson weeks after her sensational US Open triumph.
Raducanu explained that the reason she split from Richardson was because she wanted a coach who had more experience at the highest level of the WTA tour.
In an interview with The Sun, Joyce questioned Raducanu's reasoning behind her dismissal of Richardson. Joyce believes it will not be easy for Raducanu's next coach due to rising expectations on the teenager's shoulders.
"I didn’t like the statement," Michael Joyce said. "If you have a good coach and it works well, then you’d think you would want to stick with them. Why would you want a big-name coach? She’s a great player but it’s going to be a tough job for the next coach, as expectations are high. If she goes to the Australian Open next year and goes out early, people will say it’s because of the coach."
The American gave the example of his eight-year-long coaching partnership with Maria Sharapova to drive home his point that Raducanu may have made a mistake by parting with Richardson. Joyce also expressed doubts over the kind of relationship the Brit will have with her next coach.
"I’d known Maria for quite a long time before coaching her, as I was her hitting partner," Joyce said. "We got to know each other, we were on a journey. It’s a tough one for whoever comes in and works with Emma as they won’t have that relationship and they will be under a lot of scrutiny."
The 48-year-old said that players as young as Raducanu are likely to face challenges after their initial breakthrough. As such, Joyce believes the 18-year-old should approach Sharapova, who also burst onto the scene as a teenager, for advice.
"Players can get on a hot streak, get in a zone and a bubble where everything just seems to come together. It’s how you react when that comes to an end. There are likely to be hiccups with such a young player, with expectations high and a superstar status to get used to. It can only help Emma to speak to Maria so I would encourage her to do that," he added.
Emma Raducanu withdraws from Kremlin Cup
After suffering an early exit at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells earlier this week, Emma Raducanu has made changes to her schedule for the rest of the season. The Brit has withdrawn from the WTA 250 event in Moscow.
She is, however, still scheduled to play at the inaugural Transylvania Open in Cluj, Romania, which will commence on October 25. Raducanu is likely to receive plenty of support at the tournament given her links to the country (her father is Romanian).
The Brit is also slated to play at an invitational event in Abu Dhabi towards the end of the year.
