Dmitry Tursunov facts for kids
Tursunov in 2012
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| Native name | Дмитрий Турсунов |
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| Country (sports) |  Russia |
| Residence | Moscow |
| Born | 12 December 1982 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Turned pro | 2000 |
| Retired | 2017 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Vitaly Gorin (2000–2017) |
| Prize money | $5,920,125 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 231–218 (51.45% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main draw matches, in Summer Olympics and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 20 (2 October 2006) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2007) |
| French Open | 3R (2006, 2008, 2014) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2005, 2006) |
| US Open | 3R (2003, 2006, 2008, 2013) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 1R (2008, 2012) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 111–128 (46.44%) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 36 (16 June 2008) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2009, 2014) |
| French Open | SF (2008) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2007, 2008, 2011, 2014) |
| US Open | 3R (2008) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2008) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | QF (2010) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2006) |
| Hopman Cup | W (2007) |
| Coaching career (2017–) | |
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Elena Vesnina (Dec 2017 – Mar 2018)
Aryna Sabalenka (Jul 2018 – Dec 2019; Feb – Aug 2020) Anett Kontaveit (Aug 2021 – Jun 2022) Emma Raducanu (Jul 2022 – Sep 2022) Belinda Bencic (Oct 2022 – Apr 2023) Veronika Kudermetova (Sep – Nov 2023) |
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| Coaching achievements | |
| Coachee singles titles total | 14 |
| Coachee(s) doubles titles total | 4 |
| List of notable tournaments (with champion) Singles: 2018 — New Haven, Wuhan, 2019 — Shenzhen, Wuhan, Elite Trophy, 2020 — Doha (Sabalenka 6 titles); 2021 — Cleveland, Ostrava, Moscow, Cluj-Napoca, 2022 — St. Petersburg (Kontaveit 5 titles); 2023 — Adelaide, Abu Dhabi (Bencic 2 titles); Tokyo (Kudermetova 1 title) |
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Dmitry Tursunov (Russian: Дми́трий И́горевич Турсу́нов, IPA: [ˈdmʲitrʲɪj tʊrˈsunəf]) was born on December 12, 1982. He is a Russian tennis coach and a former professional player. When he was 12 years old, Dmitry moved to the United States. He went there to train and improve his chances of becoming a professional tennis player.
Dmitry reached his highest singles ranking of world No. 20 in October 2006. He often joked about not being very good on clay courts. He was supported by sports brands like Fila and Wilson. Dmitry helped the Russian Davis Cup team win the 2006 Davis Cup and reach the finals in 2007.
Contents
Dmitry Tursunov's Tennis Journey
Dmitry Tursunov started playing tennis in Moscow when he was five years old. His father made him practice for several hours each day. Later, he moved to the United States to train with coach Vitaly Gorin.
Dmitry once shared that his dad saw a lot of potential in him early on. His father believed tennis was a good way for him to make a living. Luckily, Dmitry was naturally good at the sport.
Starting Out: 1998–2002
Dmitry played his first professional match in June 1998 in Los Angeles. He won that match but lost in the next round. In 1999, he played in smaller tournaments called Futures events. He reached two semifinals and one quarterfinal.
In January 2000, Dmitry broke his leg, which meant he couldn't play for four months. When he returned, he reached his first Futures final in Florida. He then won his first Futures title the very next week. He won two more Futures events that year.
In 2001, Dmitry won another Futures event and then a bigger tournament called the Dallas Challenger. After these wins, he played in his first ATP event in Memphis. He reached the quarterfinals and beat a top-100 player, Greg Rusedski. However, he then faced injuries, including a back problem and a stress fracture in his leg. These injuries kept him off the court for six months. He returned in June 2002, winning another Futures title.
Rising Through the Ranks: 2003–2005
In 2003, Dmitry reached two finals on the ATP Challenger Tour. He then played in his first Grand Slam tournament, the US Open. There, he surprised everyone by beating former world No. 1, Gustavo Kuerten, in a five-set match. This was his first win against a top-20 player. He finished 2003 ranked in the top 100 for the first time.
The year 2004 started with some early losses, but Dmitry won the Waikoloa Challenger. He reached his first ATP Tour semifinal at the TD Waterhouse Cup. At Wimbledon, he upset his fellow Russian and 19th seed, Marat Safin. After the US Open, Dmitry had another serious injury. He broke a bone in his back during a boating accident, which kept him out of tennis for seven months.
He returned in 2005 at the 2005 Indian Wells Masters tournament. At Wimbledon, Dmitry had his best Grand Slam performance, reaching the fourth round. In one match, he had to wear a club shirt because his own shirts were stolen! He famously beat world No. 9, Tim Henman, in a tough five-set match. This was his first win against a top-ten player. He continued to play well, reaching the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup later that year.
Big Wins and First Titles: 2006–2007
The year 2006 was very successful for Dmitry. He reached his highest ranking yet. He made it to the quarterfinals in Qatar and Sydney. At the Miami Open, he reached the fourth round of a Masters Series event for the first time. There, he played against world No. 1, Roger Federer.
At the French Open, he lost in the third round after being two sets up. At Wimbledon, he beat world No. 4, Ivan Ljubičić, coming back from two sets down. After losing a match, he got a point penalty and a fine for hitting a ball at the umpire's chair. He later called the umpire an "idiot" in a press conference.
Dmitry reached his first ATP final in Los Angeles in 2006. He then won his first career title at the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open in Mumbai, India. He beat Tomáš Berdych in the final.
On January 6, 2007, Dmitry won the Hopman Cup for Russia with his teammate Nadia Petrova. In the final, he beat Tommy Robredo. This event was known for its fun and relaxed atmosphere.
At the Australian Open, he reached the third round. During the grass-court season, he made it to the semifinals of the Queen's Club Championships and the Nottingham Open. In July, Dmitry won his second career title in Indianapolis. He then won his third title of the year at the Thailand Open in September.
More Success: 2008–2009
Dmitry started 2008 by winning his fourth career title at the Sydney International in Australia. He beat Chris Guccione in the final. In February, he won his second doubles title with Tomáš Berdych in Rotterdam.
At the French Open, Dmitry reached the semifinals in men's doubles with Igor Kunitsyn. This helped him reach his highest doubles ranking of No. 36. In July, he reached the final in Indianapolis again but lost. Dmitry represented Russia at the Beijing Olympics, where he played against Roger Federer.
He won his fifth ATP singles title at the Open de Moselle in France in October. In 2009, Dmitry won his first grass-court title at the Eastbourne International. However, he had to stop playing at Wimbledon due to an ankle injury.
Injuries and Comebacks: 2010–2011
Dmitry missed most of the first part of 2010 because of his left ankle injury. He had surgery in February. He played his first tournament of the year at the French Open. He slowly worked his way back, playing in smaller Challenger events.
In October 2010, at the Japan Open, Dmitry surprised many by beating world No. 25 and world No. 30. He then faced world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, in the quarterfinals. He finished 2010 by reaching the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Open.
In 2011, Dmitry won two Challenger events. He then had a great run at the Rosmalen Open in June. He beat several strong players, including Xavier Malisse, to reach the final. There, he defeated Ivan Dodig to win his seventh ATP singles title.
Retirement from Playing: 2015–2017
In 2015, Dmitry won two men's doubles titles with different partners.
Dmitry Tursunov officially retired from playing professional tennis on August 28, 2017. His last match was a first-round loss at the US Open, as he was dealing with another injury.
Playing for Russia: Davis Cup
Dmitry Tursunov faced challenges getting United States citizenship, even though he trained there. He ended up traveling with a Russian passport and an American visa. Despite this, he was a key player for the Russian Davis Cup team.
In 2006, he helped Russia win the Davis Cup. He won important matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the semifinal, he played a very long match against Andy Roddick of the United States, which lasted almost five hours! In the final against Argentina, he played doubles with Marat Safin, and they won, helping Russia take a 2–1 lead. Russia went on to win the 2006 Davis Cup.
In 2007, Dmitry played in the Davis Cup final against the United States. He lost his first match to Andy Roddick. In 2009, he helped Russia win their first-round match against Romania.
Life After Playing: Coaching Career
After his playing career, Dmitry Tursunov became a tennis coach. In 2011, he mentored a young ATP player named Aslan Karatsev.
He later became a coach for several top female tennis players on the WTA Tour. These players included Elena Vesnina and Aryna Sabalenka. From August 2021 to June 2022, he coached Anett Kontaveit. He also briefly coached 2021 US Open Champion Emma Raducanu in 2022. More recently, he coached Belinda Bencic from October 2022 to April 2023 and Veronika Kudermetova from September to November 2023. As a coach, he has helped his players win many singles and doubles titles.
Awards and Recognition
Dmitry Tursunov has received several awards for his tennis achievements:
- He was featured in the Association of Tennis Professionals calendar in December 2009.
- He won the Russian Cup in the "Mixed Doubles Team of the Year" category in 2007.
Images for kids
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Tursunov at the 2006 Australian Open
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Tursunov with former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, 24 September 2006
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Serving at Wimbledon, 2007
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Tursunov at the 2010 US Open
See also
In Spanish: Dmitri Tursúnov para niños
