World No. 10 Emma Raducanu has described coach Dmitry Tursunov as a “really relaxed guy” and she enjoys being around him so far.
Last week, The Daily Mail reported that Raducanu would be joined by Tursunov during her first summer hard-court tournament in Washington.
In April, Raducanu split with coach Torben Beltz after just five months of partnership.
Raducanu is now on a trial basis with Tursunov, and judging by her words, she is pleased by what the Russian coachs brings to the table and she may decide to hire him full-time.
“He’s a really relaxed guy and personality. I think that he is great to have around. When you are 5-All in the breaker, he’s still chill, probably making some really bad joke. He’s got a good sense of humor. He’s good to have around in the team. He’s teaching me how to be easier on myself, not trying to chase this perfection [e.g.] you can win and not be perfect,” Raducanu said of Tursunov, per James Gray.
Raducanu: “He’s good to have around in the team. He’s teaching me how to be easier on myself, not trying to chase this perfection [e.g.] you can win and not be perfect.”
— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) August 5, 2022
Raducanu’s decision not welcomed by some back home
This year’s Wimbledon edition went without Russian and Belarusian players.
After hearing about Raducanu hiring a Russian coach, British MP Chris Bryant urged the 19-year-old Briton to “reconsider her choice.”
“The Kremlin will portray this as a PR coup and an indication that the UK doesn’t really care about the war in Ukraine, so it’ll be a real shame if Emma Raducanu goes ahead with this. I urge her to think again and at the very least to condemn Putin’s barbaric war,” Bryant told The Telegraph.
Raducanu has changed three ooaches over the last 12 months and tennis experts all agree that she needs coaching stability.
It remains to be seen if Raducanu will decide to hire Tursunov full-time.
Before joining Raducanu on a trial period, Tursunov worked with Anett Kontaveit and Aryna Sabalenka.