“She is explosive, sometimes she gets mad, blurts out something - then apologizes”: Dmitry Tursunov on coaching Aryna Sabalenka

Coaching in tennis remains one of the most challenging aspects in sports, as there are numerous variables to contend with. Different courts, different balls, and court speeds can eventually impact the outcome of matches for other players. Another reason why tennis remains one of the most challenging sports to coach is that you are dealing with an individual instead of an organisation, which has been the case in the majority of other sports. It is for this reason that the number of coaches who can be classified as world-class in tennis is minimal and far between.

Former Russian tennis player Dmitry Tursunov is one such player who can be described as one who has experience working at the highest level. The 42-year-old’s most famous stint came with the current world number one in women’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka. The two worked together on two separate occasions: first, from July 2018 to December 2019, and later, from February to August 2020. Tursunov helped Sabalenka in lifting six titles. Additionally, Tursunov worked with the young British tennis star Emma Raducanu in 2022.

Tursunov recently spoke to Russian media outlet Sport-Express, where he discussed in detail the challenges of working with certain women players who exhibited tantrums. Tursunov shared how he managed to deal with those players showing tantrums while working on the court.

"Naturally. For example, I get a message from a tennis player, I don’t have time to answer within 30-40 minutes — and she’s already throwing a tantrum,” said Tursunov. “Or an incident on the court. Training. The girl leads me to the corners. When I see that another ball is flying out of bounds, I don’t run after it, and I hear: "But you tried harder before”. If the sparring is played a couple of meters to the side, the girl starts swearing, getting hysterical. The guy gets stuck, he understands that now he has no right to make a mistake, and stops hitting the court altogether. When such situations arose, I would immediately tell my protégé: "You are a professional. Unlike sparring. Why do you have higher demands on it than on yourself? First, hit the court ten times yourself. And learn to return awkward balls. In a match, no one will play with your racket."

Tursunov also spoke about the reasons behind splitting with Sabalenka, not once but twice. Tursunov also stated that despite breaking up Sabalenka on two occasions, the two enjoy a good relationship.

“We broke up in December 2019,” said Tursunov. “In January, she went to the Australian Open and lost to Suarez-Navarro in the first round. About a month and a half later, we talked and decided to resume work. And in the summer, there was a small conflict on the court. It was a far-fetched story — but after that we broke up for good. Arina announced that she now had a new coach, Dieter Kindleman, and I realized: that's it, the point of no return has been passed. The finish! We are on first-name terms, ha-ha. Seriously, at first it seemed that Aryna might change her mind again. She is explosive, sometimes she gets mad, blurts out something - then apologizes. But when she took a new coach, it became clear that there would not be a third return. It was a tough moment for me, there's no denying it. But I told myself I had to move on. And that same day, I agreed to work with another girl.

Tursunov further went on to highlight that he will change his approach towards Sabalenka if the two manage to work together again. “I would have been a little more lenient towards Arina’s emotional displays,” said Tursunov. “I would have ignored some of her remarks. I guess I lacked flexibility and diplomacy. After all, this was my first coaching experience. And one more thing.”