It was announced on Thursday that former three-time Grand Slam finalist Safina had agreed to join world number 104 Kudermetova’s team.
For Safina, this will be her second official coaching stint on the WTA Tour. The Russian, who was just 25 when she played her last professional match in 2011, has turned down several coaching offers in the past before joining Diana Shnaider’s team in April. However, that collaboration was short-lived, as they went their separate ways after just four weeks.
Kuznetsova, a former two-time Grand Slam champion, was excited when she heard about Safina’s latest performance and immediately contacted the 39-year-old. And according to the information Kuznetsova received, the former 13-time WTA champion will likely join Kudermetova in tournaments once the Australian swing ends.
Kuznetsova: Safina trained with Kudermetova for two weeks, but will not join her at the Australian Open
“I saw the news in the press that Dinara was going to coach Polina Kudermetova, and I immediately rushed to congratulate Dinara and ask about the details and expectations. The reality is this: Dinara flew to Dubai for two weeks to train with Polina for a training session, and they agreed to try to work together,” Kuznetsova revealed via a Russian publication. Championship.
“Dinara is not planning to fly to the Australian Open, and we’ll see what happens next, which makes sense to me. In any case, I wish the new tandem good luck – may everything go well!”
Kudermetova is a 22-year-old player who is a nine-time lower-level champion and is ranked No. 54 in the world. In early 2025, she narrowly failed to become WTA champion after losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final.
Kudermetova represented Russia for the first six years of her career, but switched her allegiance to Uzbekistan just before the start of 2026.
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