Who Is Liudmila Samsonova’s Coach? Meet the Master-Mind Behind the Russian’s Massive Win Over Naomi Osaka

Liudmila Samsonova achieved one of her biggest victories in the 2024 season. She beat the comeback star Naomi Osaka 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the Mutua Madrid Open’s second round. The Russian player found her form and proved her top 20 ranking was no mistake. She reworked her game with her long-time coaches, Danilo Pizzorno and Alessandro Dumitrache, to ensure victory in the Madrid Open. Pizzorno and Samsonova have been together for close to 7 years.

Together, they have achieved many milestones, including Samsonova’s career-high ranking of 12. The two would also manage to reach the finals of two Masters in 2023. However, there is still some mystery around Pizorno which fans want to uncover. 

All you need to know about Liudmila Samosonova’s long time coach

Danilo Pizzorno started his career as a video analyst alongside Ivan Ljubicic, who was ranked 51 when the two collaborated. In 1990, he worked at the National FIT and the Professional PTR, which helped him become one of the world’s finest video analysts. Over the years, he discovered ways to improve his process. He was in charge of video analysis at the Federal Technical Center of Tirrenia from 2009 to 2011, having previously worked with the Piatti Tennis Team from 2005 to 2018.

He also worked as a consultant, assisting the Tennis Club Milano staff by studying professional players with the goal of improving the Club’s proposition. Now, he is the Head of the TC Bonacossa Video Analysis Center in Milan, Accademia Tennis Apuano, Press Sporting Turin and Rowing Club Baldesio Cremona. Those interested can take a look at his work on DartFish TV.

He has managed to rack up an impressive resume, as he has analyzed more than 20 professional players including Novak Djokovic, Ljubicic, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic, Andreas Seppi, Fabio Fognini, Marco Cecchinato, Borna Coric, Lorenzo Sonego, Simone Bolelli, Andrey Golubev, Federico Gaio, Samsonova and Jasmine Paolini.

He, along with Alessandro Dumitrache coach have found themselves as the endorsers of Asics. Pizzorno has left a deep impact on Samsonova as she revealed in a 2022 interview.

Samsonova credits Pizzorno for all of her improvements on the WTA Tour

In the current era, players don’t tend to stick with coaches if their skills aren’t improving. Samsonova and Pizzorno joined hands in 2019, which shows that the two are clicking. In a 2022 interview with the WTA, Samsonova said, “I think [Danilo] is a genius, a tactical genius. Seriously. It’s not because he’s working with me. I think in the WTA there is no one with the experience and the level of coaching as him.”

She recalls when she started working with him in 2017 and credits him for building her current skillset. “It was five years ago when I started working with him. I was working with him at the Piatti Academy and then when I split with Piatti, I contacted him and we started working again. All the technical, the shots, my forehand, my backhand, my serves, it’s because of him. He built me.”

While she faced difficulty at the start of the year, Samsonova has managed to produce impressive results. She beat Osaka with the help of her coaches, and now she aims to go even deeper in the tournament and find her way to victory.