Davis Cup, Coach, Russia: Everything you always wanted to know about Dmitry Tursunov (but never had time to find out)
Dmitry Tursunov is a former player from Russia who is now a leading coach on the WTA Tour. Here are the answers to a number of questions you may have about the Russian
Who is Dmitry Tursunov?
Dmitry Tursunov is a former professional tennis player from Russia. He reached a career-high ranking of No 20 and won the Davis Cup title with Russia in 2006. Since retiring, he has gone on to be a leading coach, especially on the WTA Tour. As of February 2023, he is the coach of Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
How many titles did Tursunov win on the ATP Tour?
Seven. He won his first title in Mumbai, India, in 2006. He won two in 2007 and the first five were on hard courts. The Russian then won his last two on grass, in Eastbourne and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
What is Dmitry Tursunov’s best achievement as a player?
Though he won seven titles and reached a career-high ranking of No 20, Tursunov’s biggest achievement as a player was winning the Davis Cup with Russia in in 2006. Tursunov won match-winning singles matches in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the latter, a four-hour, 48-minutevictory, 17-15 in the final set, over Andy Roddick. He then partnered Marat Safin in the doubles in the final as Russia beat Argentina. He was also part of the Russia team that reached the final in 2007.
What was Tursunov’s best Grand Slam performance?
Tursunov reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam event twice, both times at Wimbledon, in 2005 and 2006. He owns wins at Wimbledon over Tim Henman and Ivan Ljubicic.
Who is Tursunov coaching right now?
Tursunov took over as the coach of Belinda Bencic in October 2022. The Swiss has since returned to the top 10 and credits Tursunov for “pushing me out of my comfort zone”.
Which other players has Tursunov coached?
Tursunov’s first coaching foray was as a mentor to Aslan Karatsev, a Russian player. He then coached Elena Vesnina and Aryna Sabalenka, taking the Belarusian to the world’s top 5. In 2021, he coached Anett Kontaveit, helping the Estonian to the top five as well. He had a brief trial with Emma Raducanu in 2022, but decided not to go ahead, saying he wanted more job security than the Briton might offer.
“I was walking away from Emma regardless of whether there was another [player] available or not,” he told Tennis Majors, addressing a few media headlines that suggested otherwise. “We didn’t agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn’t be ignored. So that’s why it’s a little frustrating to read things like that… I wasn’t hopping from one player to another, I wouldn’t do that.”
Where is Dmitry Tursunov from?
Dmitry Tursunov was born on November 12, 1982, in Moscow. He moved with his family to the United States at the age of 12.
Who are Dmitry Tursunov’s family?
Tursunov was introduced to tennis by his father, Igor, a former engineer. His mother, Svetlana, is an accountant. He has an older brother, Dennis.
How much money did Dmitry Tursunov win in his career?
Dmitry Tursunov won $5.92 million in prize money, in singles and doubles.
Is Dmitry Tursunov on social media?
Yes. You can follow Dmitry Tursunov on Twitter, where he has 18,800 followers, as of February 2023. He is also on Instagram, where he has more than 6,000 followers.