Emma Raducanu has hired a new coach in former Russia pro Dimitry Tursunov as she gears up for her US Open title defence. While the former ATP world No 20 seems like a good choice given his recent success with other top 10 players on the WTA Tour, one of his own comments questioning Raducanu’s reputation for firing coaches has emerged at the announcement of their partnership, which could spark trouble before their work has properly begun.
Raducanu has been without a coach since axing Torben Beltz in April, just months after beginning their partnership. The world No 10 has since received guidance from a number of LTA figures including head of women’s tennis Iain Bates, Louis Cayer, and former LTA coach Jane O’Donoghue, and she has now hired Tursunov for an initial spell ahead of the US Open.
The former coach of Aryna Sabalenka and Anett Kontaveit to join the 19-year-old at next week’s Citi Open in Washington and if the trial is successful, he could guide her through the North American hard-court swing and beyond.
While the partnership makes sense given the Russian’s success as a coach, a comment he made about his “fear” of the US Open champion’s brutal reputation for firing her mentors just eight months ago has resurfaced.
“There is such a term ‘coaching carousel’ when coaches go in a circle,” he explained, speaking to meta ratings. ”Now Emma Raducanu, who won the US Open, is laying off the people she worked with. Naturally, everyone is shocked.”
