Emma Raducanu’s former coach has moved on from his stint with the 2021 US Open champion and is looking to work with other Grand Slam contenders next year, like Coco Gauff. Russian Dmitry Tursunov trained British star Raducanu during the 2022 campaign but walked away from the partnership at the end of her regular season after identifying what he called ‘red flags’ around the 21-year-old.
He has since worked with Olympic champion and world No. 17 Belinda Bencic but has his sights set on training a potential Grand Slam champion in 2024.
Speaking to Russia outlet championat.com, Tursunov said: “This year I have identified four girls who, in my opinion, could really win the Slam: Liudmila Samsonova, Coco Gauff, Paula Badosa and Qingwen Zheng. It would be cool to work with these players if we both want to.”
Of the four players mentioned, American Gauff is by far the most established, having won her first Grand Slam at the US Open in September, elevating the teenager to world No. 3.
Tursunov’s compatriot Samsonova is currently ranked 16th in the world, while Spaniard Badosa is still outside the top 50. Zheng won two titles during the 2023 season, with the 21-year-old Chinese star rising to world No. 15.
Renowned coach Tursunov, who was a top 30 player himself in his playing days, lifted the lid on his split from Raducanu, citing the necessity for a long-term plan that he believed to be impossible whilst working with the Brit’s ‘team’.
In October, Tursunov said: “We didn’t agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn’t be ignored. Our trial period was over at the US Open but I stuck around, trying to see if there was going to be a way to impress the team. I really wanted to make it work.
“First, she’s absolutely great, a hard worker and doesn’t think or act like a superstar. She’s extremely talented, very athletic and very coordinated. She is hungry to improve and is obsessed with tennis.
“I loved working with her. It was a difficult decision to walk away. She’s minimum a one-year project but I would say she’s a two-and-a-half-year project. It’s hard for people to understand because she already won the US Open.
“But her game is very raw and in many ways it could use a lot of improvement. As I said to her and her team, you just need to have one voice. Try that. If it doesn’t work, you cross that off your list.”
Raducanu missed the majority of the 2023 season through injury but is returning to action at the ASB Classic before hoping to make it into the Australian Open either via a wildcard place or through qualifying.
