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Emma Raducanu saga takes fresh twist as another coach departs

Andrew Reid
·5-min read
Pictured here, Emma Raducanu on the practice courts with her former coach, Dmitry Tursunov.
Emma Raducanu is on the lookout for a fifth coach in 16 months after parting ways with Dmitry Tursunov. Pic: Getty

Emma Raducanu is once again on the lookout for a new coach after her relationship with Russian mentor Dmitry Tursunov came to an end.

It's understood the 19-year-old wanted to continue working with Tursunov but he has decided to pursue an opportunity to coach another player.

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It leaves former US Open champion Raducanu searching for a fifth coach in just 16 months.

The 19-year-old enjoyed some promising results under Tursunov, including reaching the semi-final of the Korea Open in Seoul last month.

However, Raducanu has continued to suffer injury setbacks, retiring midway through her last-four clash with Jelena Ostapenko with a glute injury and withdrawing from last week’s Transylvania Open with a wrist problem.

Raducanu has appointed Andy Murray’s former fitness coach Jez Green as she targets a return at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Glasgow in December.

Tursunov leaves Raducanu having recently coached Anett Kontaveit and helping the Estonian crack into the world’s top 10.

However, the Russian mentor split with Kontaveit before the grass-court swing after effectively being blocked from entering Britain.

In order to attend Wimbledon or the other lead-up events in the UK, Russian or Belarusian coaches had to denounce the invasion of Ukraine before being allowed to enter the country.

Tursunov became Raducanu's fourth coach in 13 months, with tennis great John McEnroe warning the 19-year-old at the time that she needed to find stability before sustained success can be achieved.

“No one wins a major if they are not a great player and hopefully she has belief, but a lot has changed for her since then.

“I”m not close to her. In fact. As a matter of fact, I’ve never spoken to her. I hope to have the opportunity soon because she is obviously a breath of fresh air. She is a very sweet girl, a beautiful girl and plays great tennis. What’s not to like.

“It has been hard to watch her struggling, but I don’t know if she needs time. She needs the right stability and people around her and I don’t know what’s going on there.

“You don’t go through a tournament where you don’t lose a single set and beat some of the top female players and not be a great player.”

Emma Raducanu struggling to settle on full-time coach

Raducanu shot to stardom in 2021 after becoming the first qualifier ever to win the US Open after a dream run.

Since the British teenager became one of the biggest names in tennis, she has been unable to settle on a long-term mentor to coach her.

Seen here, Emma Raducanu in action against Daria Kasatkina during her first round match of the Agel Open.
Emma Raducanu in action against Daria Kasatkina during her first round match of the Agel Open. Pic: Getty (Robert Prange via Getty Images)

Raducanu split with coach Torben Beltz in April, despite the pair spending just five months together.

She then went to Roland Garros without a coach after announcing that she was trying a "new training model" that involved support from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and meetings with consultants.

Raducanu replaced Nigel Sears with Andrew Richardson after her breakthrough run at Wimbledon in 2021, then decided not to renew the latter's contract despite the fact he guided her to a historic victory at the US Open as a qualifier.

with agencies

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