EMMA RADUCANU’s former coach says they parted ways because “there were some red flags that just couldn’t be ignored”.
Dmitry Tursunov joined up with the 2021 US Open champion on a trial period after her exit from the Wimbledon second round in the summer.
Emma Raducanu has split from coach Dmitry TursunovGetty
Tursunov (pictured) said there were red flags he could not ignoreGetty
Yet after she reached the semi-finals of the Korean Open in Seoul, the pair separated this month as the Russian and Raducanu’s team failed to agree new terms.
The 39-year-old – who has since taken over the coaching responsibilities for Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland – has refused to specify what the worrying signs were.
Yet he was aware that she has a reputation for hiring-and-firing coaches since winning the New York slam last year.
He told TennisMajors.com: “I was walking away from Emma regardless of whether there was another (player) available or not.
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“We didn’t agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn’t be ignored. I wasn’t hopping from one player to another, I wouldn’t do that.”
Tursunov, who used to coach Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, says world No.76 Raducanu is such a “raw” player that she is a “two-and-a-half year project” for a new mentor.
The former Davis Cup winner believes Raducanu, who is searching for a fifth coach in 16 months, needs just one voice in her ear during the WTA Tour season.
Raducanu is set to be back in action next month when Britain play in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Glasgow.
He added: “Our trial period was over at the US Open but I stuck around, trying to see if there was going to be a way to impress the team. I really wanted to make it work.
“She’s absolutely great, she’s a hard worker and she doesn’t think or act like she’s a superstar.
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“She is hungry to improve and is obsessed with tennis. I think it’s quite a rare combination.
“So, I really loved working with her, and I really wanted to make it work. It was a very difficult decision for me to walk away from a player that I like and respect.
“Of course, I would rather stick around and work with one player but again I don’t always make that decision.
“With Emma, I walked away, yes. That was my choice. I could have stuck around, I could have agreed on everything that her team proposed.
“But, deep down, I felt like that wasn’t the right thing to do.
“Emotionally, I wanted to stay, but logically, I felt like I needed to leave.
“I felt like there were going to be problems later and I wanted to avoid them for my own peace of mind.
“In my opinion, she’s minimum a one-year project but I would say that she’s probably a two-and-a-half-year project to be on the safe side.
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“In my opinion, her game is very raw, and I think in many ways it could use a lot of improvement.
“As I said to her and to pretty much everyone on her team: I think you just need to have one voice and just try that for a bit. And then if it doesn’t work, you cross that off your list.”