‘Visa Process Was Very Complicated for Him’ – World No.2 Anett Kontaveit Reveals Reason Behind Splitting With Russian Coach

26-year-old Estonian tennis player Anett Kontaveit has been playing some exceptional tennis since last year. After appointing the Russian coach, Dmitry Tursunov, in August last year, her performance on the tour improved drastically. 

Before their partnership started, she was no.30 in the WTA rankings and now she’s the new world no.2. However, she recently chose to split with her coach, as she had no other choice. 

Anett Kontaveit reveals why she had to part ways with her coach

Recently, the current world no.2, took to Twitter and thanked her coach for all the things he has done in her career. “Hi Everyone, I’d like to thank Dimitry Tursunov on a very successful time together. Along the way we enjoyed a number of big wins. Moving forward, we have mutually agreed to go our separate ways. I wish him nothing but the best!” Kontaveit wrote on Twitter. 

Later, in an interview, the Estonian player revealed that she had to split with her Russian coach because of the current circumstances regarding Russia and Ukraine. Having Russian citizenship makes it difficult for Tursunov to get a visa for certain countries. As a result, he could not accompany Kontaveit in some tournaments. 

Read More: ‘I’m Now Officially the Ambassador’- Elina Svitolina Meets Ukrainian President Zelensky to Make a Big Announcement

“It is very difficult for him to get visas at the moment, meaning he can’t accompany me to many tournaments. I still feel I need a coach who can accompany me and who does not have so many practical issues… He could not come to America with me in March, and now he had a visa problem in relation to England. The visa process was very complicated for him,” she further revealed. 

Kontaveit under Tursunov’s guidance

Kontaveit and Tursunov’s partnership started just before the US Open last year. Since then, the Estonian player won 3 WTA 500 titles and 2 WTA 250 titles. Also, she reached several finals, where she lost by some close margins. Recently, she reached the final of the Qatar Open where she lost to Iga Swiatek. 

Last year she reached the final of the WTA Finals, where she suffered a close defeat to Garbine Muguruza. Most importantly, she reached the no.2 spot in the WTA rankings, which is still the biggest achievement of her career.

Watch This Story: Rise of a superstar – Iga Swiatek’s victorious moments on the WTA tour

However, her recent performances have not been great, as she lost in the first round at the French Open. Now, she will play the next Grand Slam at Wimbledon, possibly without a coach. 

Can Kontaveit have the same impact on the tour without a coach?