In September 2021, the life of a British tennis player Emma Radukano (Currently ranked 10th in the world) Forever changed. The 19-year-old broke all the stats: She’s gone from 150th in the standings to the top spots, from qualifying to dedication without compromising sets, getting new advertising contracts, magazine covers, and rising to honors. Famous … However, his game – in practice – did not stand out again. In addition, among the many changes he faced, he came under scrutiny due to the constant replacement of coaches. Now, a few weeks before the title defense in New York, another phase has begun with a new coach. Of course, the decision did not go unnoticed due to various nuances and did indeed cause noise on the tour.
Raducanu, who was promptly eliminated in the second round at the latest Wimbledon event, began working with Russian Dmitry Tursunov, who was No. 20 in the ATP rankings in 2006, won seven singles titles and was the coach – among other players – of Estonian Anett Kontaveit (currently second) and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (sixth). The association between Raducanu and Tursunov sparked some controversy in the United Kingdom as British players from Russia and Belarus were denied entry as punishment for the warlike invasion of Ukraine. British political sectors reacted and refused to let a sports figure in Great Britain work with a Russian coach.
Since it was enshrined in Flushing Meadows 2021, Raducanu’s every move – by the public, media and critics – is watched with near-suffocating interest, which has also affected and negatively affected the tennis player’s game. Labor MP Chris Bryant told the newspaper telegraph That “the Kremlin will use this link” between Radokano and Tursunov (born in Moscow in 1982) “Russian Propaganda, Putin’s Propaganda”.
Realizing this British official’s opinion, they replied on a Russian state TV program and mocked him: “Do you know what terrible headlines are in the British newspapers today? That fans’ favorite tennis player, Radokano, who was their athlete last year, has got, think about it.” , on a Russian coach! Do you understand how widespread paranoia and outright Russophobia are in the West?
Last July 9, despite Wimbledon’s efforts to ban players from Russia and Belarus from competing in All England, a decision that led to heavy fines by the ATP and WTA Tour (no ranking points were awarded), the women’s singles competition in The competition ended with the victory of a player who was born in Russia but represents the flag of Kazakhstan: Elena Rybakina. Many Russian officials mocked “fate”. One of them, Shamil Tarbyshev, the historical president of the Russian Tennis Federation, who said with a great deal of irony: “Well done Rybakina. We won Wimbledon.”
The link between Raducanu and Tursunov did not go unnoticed only because of nationalities. A few months ago, when the Russian coach was asked about the current situation of the British player, he replied: She got sucked into the whirlpool of separating all the people who took her to the elite. If she calls me now to work with her, I will shiver with fear because I will feel that she can fire me at any moment.”. Despite these statements, today they are on the same team.
The concrete thing is that if you look back, and take the 2021 US Open as a starting point, you can see that Raducanu endured a very stressful first full season on the Tour. At the same time that it became a commercial and media boom, their responses within the court went another way. Since then he has struggled with injuries, played a few matches (11 wins, 15 losses) and never looked well again. On August 29, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the curtain will rise on the last Grand Slam. Raducanu will arrive as a defending champion, with all the pressure this presents. All eyes will be focused on your performance.
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