Emma Raducanu to appoint Russian coach in controversial move ahead of her US Open defense

EMMA RADUCANU is ready to appoint a Russian coach in a controversial move.

The 19-year-old US Open champion will try to defend her title at Flushing Meadows in a month.

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And he could risk incurring the ire of many by turning to Dmitry Tursunov as his next new American swing coach.

According to the Daily Mail, the British star will be joined by Tursunov at next week’s Citi Open in Washington DC.

And depending on how their initial partnership goes, Tursunov could stick with Raducanu for this part of the season that culminates with the US Open in New York.

However, the 39-year-old’s nationality might surprise some, especially among the Wimbledon bosses.

The All England Club has banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in this year’s championships as a result of the Ukraine invasion; the ATP and WTA removed the ranking points in response.

Tursanov, who reached No. 20 in the world and won the Davis Cup with Russia, moved to the United States at age 12.

She retired from the game in 2017 and has enjoyed a successful transition into coaching, leading Anett Kontaveit into the top five of women’s tennis.

The seven-time ATP Tour title winner has also worked with Aryna Sabalenka, Aslan Karatsev and world number one doubles Elena Vesnina.

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Raducanu has been without a full-time manager since parting ways with Torben Beltz in April, drawing on the wisdom of Louis Cayer, Iain Bates and Jane O’Donoghue.

He previously dumped Nigel Sears after his breakthrough to the 2021 Wimbledon fourth round, then Nigel Richardson’s contract was not renewed despite overseeing the fairy tale sensation in New York.

Now, after struggling for form and fitness in 2022, the teenager from Kent will be desperate to get back to her prime working with Tursunov.

And she will have to be prepared for his direct, hard-line approach to training.

Tursunov, who once hid Roger Federer’s racket bag before a match, told tennismajors.com in January: “With a lot of players, they just aren’t willing to listen to the truth.

“They want to hear that maybe the problem is with the racket or the grips, or maybe with their mom or dad and it takes some maturity and self-awareness to admit there is a problem.

“So that’s the first step: be honest with the player and say, ‘If you hire me as a manager, then you’re asking for my opinion.’

“So if I’m giving my opinion, it’s up to the player to use it or not. I don’t care, I get paid one way or another!”