If you had to name the most consistent force in today’s WTA battlefield, Aryna Sabalenka would roar to the top: bold, relentless, and burning with desire. Already a finalist in Australia and Paris this year, only to fall to two different Americans, she met her third heartbreak at Wimbledon, ousted by a surprise finalist, Amanda Anisimova, in the semis. Still, her fire hasn’t dimmed. The Belarusian tigress commands the court with a fearless game and unshakable grit. But just as the US Open storm brews and she withdraws from the National Bank Open to focus on Flushing Meadows, a ghost from five years ago returns as Dmitry Tursunov now breaks his silence on their explosive split. Curious to know what he said?
The storm between Aryna Sabalenka and Dmitry Tursunov didn’t just blow over quietly; it roared back into the spotlight with fresh force. In a recent Sports Express interview, the ex-coach was pressed on whether he ever heard the words, “Dmitry, I am firing you,” straight from the Belarusian’s mouth. His answer? A cheeky yet honest laugh. “No, I don’t. We’re on a first-name basis, haha. Seriously, at first it seemed that Aryna could change her mind again,” he admitted.
Tursunov didn’t stop there. With a tone that teetered between raw reflection and dry humor, he peeled back the curtain on the emotional rollercoaster that led to their final farewell. “After all, she is explosive, sometimes she freaks out, blurts out something – then apologizes. But when she took a new coach, it became clear that there would definitely be no third return. For me, it was a difficult moment, what to hide. But I said to myself – we need to move on. And on the same day, I agreed to work with another girl,” he added, firmly closing a chapter that had once crackled with promise.
Their saga began back in the summer of 2018. A rising Sabalenka turned to Tursunov as her guiding force, and the results were electric. In that breakout stretch, she stormed to titles in New Haven and Wuhan, later adding the Shenzhen Open crown to start 2019.
250708 — LONDON, July 8, 2025 — Aryna Sabalenka reacts during the women s singles quarterfinal match between Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Laura Siegemund of Germany at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, July 8, 2025. SPBRITAIN-LONDON-TENNIS-WIMBLEDON-WOMEN S SINGLES LixYing PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
But as the year unfolded, Sabalenka’s form grew patchy. The magic that had lit up stadiums began to dim. Her only notable deep run came with a runner-up finish in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic. By the time the US Open rolled around, Sabalenka, then seeded No.9, bowed out in the second round to Yulia Putintseva.
Then came the shock announcement in August 2019. Sabalenka took to IG to cut ties with the coach who had once helped her find her roar. “Thank you for everything and all the best in your future!” she wrote.
But it wasn’t the end of the emotion-laced chapter. While she had publicly sealed the breakup, Tursunov only now chose to bare his truth. His insight added fresh context to a relationship once marked by fire, fight, and flair.
What made the split even more bewildering was the emotional build-up leading to it. Just days earlier, after defeating fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in a tense three-set battle at the US Open, Sabalenka was full of praise for Tursunov. “We’ve had a lot of conversations; I don’t know how many, and they’re still happening, these conversations,” she told wtatennis.com. “I’m actually happy to have him by my side because he’s professional and he knows me better than others. I don’t think I can trust anyone like I trust Dmitry, and that’s important.”
Tursunov, too, had shared his heartfelt sentiments online. Reflecting on their rollercoaster journey, he posted, “What a ride it was! It was truly the best and most fulfilling time, where I found myself and my purpose.” In another line, he captured the spirit of a coach chasing perfection: “I hope to draw some lessons as a coach and a person and get better at helping players fulfill their potential.”
Even after their coaching ties had been severed, the emotional thread tugged on. When Tursunov was spotted courtside for her quarterfinal doubles match, Sabalenka couldn’t resist one final volley, this time on social media. “I just wanna say I don’t know what’s happening right now,” she wrote. “Seems like we’re crazy… one day everything is [OK] another day we both want to kill each other!”
Then came the public apology: “Just wanted to say it. I know sounds weird… like we are couple and been together for 30 years, but I think relationships between player and coach it’s something similar to this… I don’t know probably he’ll kill me after he read this…. before you kill me just wanna to say sorry!”
And while Sabalenka is now regrouping for the US Open, withdrawing from the National Bank Open to prime herself for Flushing Meadows, her split with Tursunov continues to echo.
Lined up beside the likes of Coco Gauff as players face scrutiny and calls for rule changes, Sabalenka’s past remains a wild chapter, one that her ex-coach still can’t fully shelve. Because in tennis, sometimes the real drama doesn’t unfold on court, it brews in the hearts, minds, and memories of those chasing greatness together.
Dmitry Tursunov breaks silence on Sabalenka split in 2020
After parting ways with Dmitry Tursunov, Aryna Sabalenka brought in Dieter Kindlmann: once the guiding hand behind Elise Mertens and Angelique Kerber, and a former hitting partner to the fierce Maria Sharapova. The coaching carousel spun fast, but emotions ran deeper.
On the Double Bagel podcast in 2020, Tursunov opened up, “Probably, recently Aryna has felt that I can’t give her anything else. Of course, if she had such a feeling, then it’s the right decision to stop working together. The coach must understand that this is nothing personal. It certainly hurt me to realize my helplessness. However, I know for sure that my intentions have always been the best and I gave Aryna everything I could. That is life.”
The 37-year-old Russian, who once guided Sabalenka to the top with fiery precision, admitted the split stung. Still, his words showed maturity. “Let’s see in which direction I will move on. I will try to learn from my own mistakes and get better. If anyone needs my help, I will be happy to provide it. When I am appreciated, I am happy. And I want to be happy.”
On the court, Sabalenka’s 2025 season has been one emotional ride.
Since falling short of a three-peat in Melbourne, the Belarusian powerhouse has tasted loss after loss, but never surrendered spirit. Even as she credits her family for the good genetics, the grind has not slowed.
Now, with Coco Gauff crowned in Paris and Iga Swiatek towering from Wimbledon’s throne, the chase is on. Can Aryna defend her fortress in Flushing Meadows once again?
The post Aryna Sabalenka’s Ex-Coach Reveals Surprising Truth Behind ‘Difficult’ Split: ‘She’s Explosive’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.