Emma Raducanou lost 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to France’s Diane Parry in the first clay tournament of 2026 at the Strasbourg International Show on Tuesday.
Raducanu returned to the WTA Tour after missing more than two months due to a viral illness.
The former US Open champion accepted a replacement spot at the WTA 500 event. She joins Andrew Richardson after reappointing the US Open-winning coach..
Parry entered a clash with Raducanu at the Clarins WTA 125 in Paris on Sunday after opponent Madison Keys failed to continue to the final despite winning the first set.
The French No. 1 with a heavy strap tied around his left thigh. 4 looked tired from the trip compared to his opponent, who was playing his first game after the tournament. Struggling under Amanda Anisimova’s hands in Indian Wells.
Radukanu, who was pushed down to 37th place in the rankings, made sharp moves and showed early strength by taking a 4-2 lead in the opening set.
But the British No. 1 took the advantage in the next game, and with the court drying out after an early start in Strasbourg, Raducano’s third double fault followed by a thunderous parry forehand secured three successive breaks, but more importantly gave the Frenchwoman the chance to serve for the set.
World number 94 Parry forced several break points for Radukanu and, urged on by the home fans, closed out the set after 56 minutes of back-and-forth clashes.
Andrew Richardson is back as coach almost five years after guiding Raducanu to the US Open title.
Raducanu calmed himself and regathered himself to take a 4-2 advantage, but in a mirror image of the opening, the talented 23-year-old Parry launched an immediate counter-attack.
Raducanu’s double faults increased and a wild forehand following her eighth fault gave Parry a chance, but she denied the Frenchwoman with a superb return game as the Englishman drew at 5-5.
In an intense drama match, they once again exchanged service breaks, and the game headed to a tiebreak.
Despite a valiant effort from Raducanu, it was Parry who capitalized on a few mistakes to seal victory and avenge the loss to England in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup qualifying rubber.
Raducanu will now compete in the French Open, which starts on May 24, with only one clay court match.
Henman: The Raducanu coaching change comes at a perfect time.
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Tim Henman and Laura Robson believe it is a good move for Raducanu to reunite with Andrew Richardson.
Former British No.1 Tim Henman has recently received support. Raducanu’s decision to reappoint Richardson ahead of a huge summer of tennis.
Raducanu was strongly criticized for axing Richardson shortly after his stunning win in New York in 2021. At the time, the now 23-year-old felt she needed someone with WTA Tour experience, but almost five years and several short-term appointments later, Raducanu turned to Richardson again.
“I’m looking forward to reconnecting with someone who has known me for over 10 years and building together one iteration at a time,” Raducanu said.
This continues Raducanu’s pattern of favoring coaches he worked with before his meteoric rise to superstardom. Henman believes the four-time Wimbledon semifinalist made the right decision.
“I think it’s great that Andrew is back to support Emma, and all I can say is I hope it lasts a little longer,” Henman said. Sky Sports.
“They had an amazing run in the US a few years ago and then it stopped working. She’s been through a lot of different coaches by now.
“They definitely have a connection from the past. Emma clearly trusts Andrew. I think consistency and continuity is really important, especially at this time.
“She has the French Open coming up, but then there is the grass court season before and at Wimbledon where the spotlight will be strongest.”
Former England No 1 Laura Robson believes Raducanu’s decision to reunite with Richardson will help her feel more comfortable knowing a “familiar voice”.
“At this stage, she’s trying to come back from a long illness that she’s had for the last few months, so it’s probably quite comforting to have someone she already trusts, someone she’s been through a lot with, coming back with a familiar voice,” she said.
“It makes a big difference to have the same idea of what they’re trying to do with her game on the court. It’s definitely worked in the past, so why not go for a second round?”
Copper Box in London to host GB Davis Cup matches
England will host the Davis Cup match against Ecuador on September 19-20 at the Copperbox Arena in London.
Leon Smith’s team beat Norway 4-0 in the first qualifying round and will now face the South American side to advance to the quarterfinals.
“This will be our first home game since 2024, so we’re really looking forward to the Davis Cup being played at the Copperbox in September,” Smith said.
“This is a great stadium and having the home crowd create that special Davis Cup atmosphere that we love could make a big difference as we face a tough game against Ecuador for a place in the quarter-finals.”
England suffered a shock 3-2 loss to the All England Club when they faced Ecuador in the 2000 tournament.
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