Dmitry Tursunov, a prominent figure in tennis coaching, has recently faced scrutiny after parting ways with Veronika Kudermetova. The world No 19 is the fourth player to sever ties with the Russian coach since June 2022, citing his “too direct” approach as a reason for the split. Tursunov had previously coached Belinda Bencic, Emma Raducanu, and Anett Kontaveit.
While Tursunov has built a reputation as a respected tennis coach, his methods have often been regarded as unconventional. His coaching history includes a turbulent on-and-off relationship with world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka before their final split in 2019.
Since then, Tursunov has struggled to maintain a long-term coaching role, with his recent collaboration with Kudermetova serving as the latest example. Their partnership began this summer after Tursunov was seen supporting her during Wimbledon. However, despite their brief tenure, the 26-year-old player opted to terminate their association, citing Tursunov’s directness as a challenge.
According to Kudermetova, “He is too direct a person. We players are very emotional and need a little tact, especially when receiving guidance or suggestions that disregard our preferences or desires.”
This departure marks another setback for Tursunov, highlighting difficulties in maintaining sustained coaching relationships, despite his coaching experience and expertise in the sport.
Veronika Kudermetova in 2023
At the moment ranked no.19, Veronika played her last match on the 27th of October when she defeated world no.16 Ludmilla Samsonova 6-4 3-6 7-5 in the round robin in Zhuhai (draw).
Currently, during this season the Russian owns a composed 34-22 record. Kudermetova clinched 1 title in Tokyo. The Russian got to the final in Hertogenbosch.