Dmitry Tursunov facts for kids
Tursunov in 2012
|
|
| Native name | Дмитрий Турсунов |
|---|---|
| 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–) | |
|
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) |
|
| 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) |
|
Dmitry Igorevich Tursunov (Russian: Дми́трий И́горевич Турсу́нов, IPA: [ˈdmʲitrʲɪj tʊrˈsunəf]; born 12 December 1982) is a Russian tennis coach and former player. When he was 12 years old, he moved to the United States. He went there to train and improve his chances of becoming a professional tennis player. His highest singles ranking was world No. 20, which he achieved in October 2006.
Dmitry often joked about not being very good on clay courts. He was sponsored by famous brands like Fila and Wilson. He played a big part in helping the Russian Davis Cup team win the 2006 Davis Cup. They also reached the finals of the 2007 Davis Cup.
Contents
Dmitry Tursunov's Tennis Journey
Dmitry Tursunov started playing tennis in Moscow when he was five years old. His father encouraged him to practice for several hours every day. Later, he moved to the United States to train with a coach named Vitaly Gorin.
Dmitry once shared how his father saw his talent early on. He said his dad believed tennis was a good way for him to make a living. Luckily, Dmitry was naturally good at the sport.
Starting Out in Tennis
Dmitry played his very first professional match in June 1998. It was a smaller tournament called a Futures event in Los Angeles. He won his first match but lost in the next round. In 1999, he played in more Futures events in the Philippines and the United States. He managed to reach two semifinals and one quarterfinal.
In 2000, Dmitry broke his leg in January, which meant he couldn't play for four months. When he returned, he kept playing in Futures events. He reached his first Futures final in Florida but lost. However, he won his first Futures title the very next week! He then 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. This is a much higher level of professional tennis. He reached the quarterfinals and even beat a top-100 player. Unfortunately, he then faced injuries, including a back problem and a stress fracture in his leg. These injuries kept him away from tennis for six months. He returned in June 2002 and continued to play well in smaller tournaments.
Climbing the Ranks (2003–2005)
In 2003, Dmitry reached two finals in Challenger tournaments. He then qualified for his first Grand Slam event, the US Open. This was a huge step! He even beat a former world No. 1 player, Gustavo Kuerten, in a tough five-set match. He finished 2003 ranked in the top 100 players for the first time.
The year 2004 started with some losses, but Dmitry won another Challenger title. He also reached the quarterfinals of some ATP events. At Wimbledon, he surprised everyone by beating a higher-ranked player, Marat Safin. He reached the third round there. Later that year, he had to stop playing for seven months because of a broken bone in his back from a boating accident.
He came back in 2005. At Wimbledon, he had his best Grand Slam performance ever, reaching the fourth round. In one match, he even had to wear a borrowed shirt because his own were stolen! He beat a top-ten player, Tim Henman, in a thrilling five-set match. He continued to play well, reaching the semifinals at the Kremlin Cup later that year.
Big Wins and High Rankings (2006–2007)
The year 2006 was very successful for Dmitry. He reached his highest ranking ever, No. 20 in the world. He made it to the quarterfinals in several tournaments. At the Miami Open, he reached the fourth round of a Masters event for the first time, where he played against the world No. 1, Roger Federer.
At Wimbledon, he had another great run. He beat the world No. 4, Ivan Ljubičić, in a five-set comeback. He then reached his first ATP final in Los Angeles but lost. However, he soon won his first career title at the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open in India.
In January 2007, Dmitry won the Hopman Cup for Russia with his teammate Nadia Petrova. This was a fun team event where he showed his playful side during a mixed doubles match. At the Australian Open, he reached the third round. He continued to play well on grass courts, reaching the semifinals at the Queen's Club Championships.
Dmitry won his second career title in Indianapolis in July 2007. He then won his third title of the year at the Thailand Open in September. He had a strong year, showing his skill on hard courts.
More Titles and Team Play (2008–2011)
Dmitry started 2008 by winning his fourth career title in Sydney, Australia. He also won a doubles title in Rotterdam, showing he was good at playing with a partner too. At the French Open, he reached the semifinals in men's doubles, which helped him reach his highest doubles ranking of No. 36.
He reached another singles final in Indianapolis in 2008 but couldn't defend his title. He also represented Russia at the Beijing Olympics, playing against Roger Federer. Later that year, he won his fifth ATP singles title in Metz, France.
The start of 2009 was tough for Dmitry with some early losses. However, he won his first grass-court title at the Eastbourne International in June. Unfortunately, he had to stop playing at Wimbledon due to an ankle injury.
Dmitry missed most of 2010 because of his ankle injury and surgery. He slowly returned to playing, mostly in smaller Challenger tournaments. Towards the end of 2010, he had some good wins at the Japan Open, beating two top-30 players before losing to Rafael Nadal. He also reached the semifinals of the St. Petersburg Open.
In 2011, Dmitry won two Challenger events. He then had a great run at the Marseille Open, beating a top-ten player and reaching the semifinals. He continued his success by winning his seventh ATP singles title at the Rosmalen Open in June.
Later Years (2012–2017)
In 2015, Dmitry won two men's doubles titles with different partners, showing his continued skill in doubles.
Playing for Russia: Davis Cup
Dmitry Tursunov was a very important player for the Russia Davis Cup team. The Davis Cup is a big international team competition in tennis. Even though he tried for many years, he couldn't become a U.S. citizen and always traveled with a Russian passport.
In 2006, he helped Russia win their matches against the Netherlands and Croatia. In the semifinal against the United States, he played a very long match against Andy Roddick that lasted almost five hours! Dmitry won, which secured Russia's spot in the Davis Cup final. In the final against Argentina, he played doubles with Marat Safin, and they won their match. Russia went on to win the 2006 Davis Cup that year!
In 2007, Russia reached the Davis Cup final again, but they lost to the United States. Dmitry continued to play for Russia in the Davis Cup in later years, often winning important matches for his team.
Retiring from Tennis
Dmitry Tursunov officially stopped playing professional tennis on 28 August 2017. He retired because of another injury.
Life After Playing: Coaching
After retiring as a player, Dmitry became a successful tennis coach. He has coached several top female tennis players on the WTA Tour.
He coached Elena Vesnina and Aryna Sabalenka. From 2021 to 2022, he coached Anett Kontaveit. He also briefly coached the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in 2022. More recently, he coached Belinda Bencic and Veronika Kudermetova.
Awards and Recognition
Dmitry Tursunov has received some special awards for his tennis career.
- International
- He was featured in the Association of Tennis Professionals calendar in December 2009.
- National
- He won the Russian Cup in the "Mixed Doubles Team of the Year" category in 2007.
See also
In Spanish: Dmitri Tursúnov para niños
