Emma Raducanu is in line to face Diane Parry of France as she prepares for her first clay tournament of 2026 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Raducanu will make her return to the WTA Tour after missing more than two months with a post-viral illness against Parry on Tuesday, but her potential second-round opponent Madison Keys has withdrawn from the warm-up tournament because of an injury to her left thigh.
Parry heads into the clash with Raducanu in fine form having clinched the Clarins WTA 125 on Sunday after Keys was unable to continue the final despite winning the first set.
The former US Open champion accepted a top 30 replacement spot in the WTA 500 event, which begins on Sunday, and she will be joined by Andrew Richardson after reappointing the US Open-winning coach
"Post-viral, it's quite hard," Raducanu told reporters in Rome. "You feel drained. You feel tired. No energy. It's difficult, and it lingered for quite a while. Right now, I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent. I'm still building my way back. It is difficult to then kind of maintain it."
The tournament will be Raducanu's final opportunity to get match play in before the French Open, which begins on May 24.
Raducanu joins a competitive field, led by Victoria Mboko, Ekaterina Alexandrova, rising American teenager Iva Jovic, while Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsonova, Marie Bouzkova and Leylah Fernandez will also be in the draw.
Henman has backed .
Raducanu was strongly criticised for axing Richardson shortly after her stunning win in New York in 2021, citing the need for a coach with WTA Tour experience as the reason for the split.
At the time, the now 23-year-old said she felt she needed someone with WTA Tour experience, but, nearly five years and a host of short-term appointments later, Raducanu has again turned to Richardson.
"Grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time," said Raducanu.
The Brit reunites with her old coach five and a half years after their initial partnership, continuing a pattern of Raducanu favouring coaches who she worked with prior to her rapid ascent to superstardom - a decision that four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman views as correct.
"I think it's great that Andrew is back to support Emma and all I can say is I hope it lasts a bit longer," Henman said on Your Site.
"They had an incredible run in America all those years ago and it stopped working after that. She's been through a lot of other coaches between now and then.
"They obviously have a relationship from the past - Emma obviously trusts Andrew - and I think that consistency and continuity is really important, especially at this time of year.
"She's got the French Open coming up, but then the grass-court season, where the spotlight is going to be at its most intense - pre-Wimbledon and at Wimbledon."
Former British No 1 Laura Robson feels Raducanu's decision to reunite with Richardson will help her feel more relaxed knowing a "familiar voice".
She said: "At this stage she's trying to come back from a long-term illness over the last couple of months, so to come back with a familiar voice, someone who you trust already, someone who you've been through so much with, probably feels quite relaxing in a way.
"To have the same ideas of what they're trying to do with her game on the court makes a big difference. Clearly it's worked in the past so why not give it round two?"
The 23-year-old is set to slip to 37th in the rankings next week, meaning she will not be seeded at Roland-Garros.
Your Site' lead tennis commentator Jonathan Overend said Raducanu will only be able to find the right balance in her setup once she answers a key question.
"I think she has spent a lot of her young career re-evaluating," he said. "In one regard, it explains why she has been through so many coaches and why she has been criticised for it.
"It's typical of Raducanu that she wants to keep re-evaluating and finding out what is best for her on and around a tennis court.
"That challenge continues, and to some extent it is a struggle, because finding the right balance is so hard, but I think she is slowly getting [it], not in terms of her Grand Slam results but in terms of that re-evaluation process.
"What is it she really wants for herself on a tennis court and in tournaments?"
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