Anton Dubrov
Dubrov at the 2023 US Open
Country (sports) Belarus
Born (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 28)
Turned pro2013
Retired2018
PlaysRight-handed
Prize money$2,016[1]
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 1935 (3 November 2014)[1]
Coaching career
Aryna Sabalenka (2020–)
Coaching achievements
Coachee singles titles total6
List of notable tournaments
(with champion)

2023 Australian Open (Sabalenka)

Anton Dubrov (born 18 June 1995)[1] is a Belarusian tennis coach and former player. He has coached Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player Aryna Sabalenka since 2020.

Career

Dubrov started playing tennis at age five.[2] His peak International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior ranking was No. 272, reached in 2013 by having won a Grade 5 doubles title and a Grade 4 singles title the previous year on the ITF Junior Circuit.[2] Over the course of his playing career, he earned a single Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking point by winning just one out of his ten main-draw singles matches on the ITF Men's Circuit from 2013 to 2015, but continued occasionally until 2018 to enter ITF qualifying draws.[1][2]

A longtime member of Aryna Sabalenka's team as her hitting partner, Dubrov became Sabalenka's primary coach in 2020, replacing longtime coach Dmitry Tursunov after a short-term experiment with Dieter Kindlmann.[3][4][5] Sabalenka, ranked just outside the WTA's top 10 in 2020, found increasingly consistent results with Dubrov, winning four WTA Tour titles in the first year of his coaching tenure. Ranked world No. 2 by the end of 2021, she credited him with helping her feel more "confident" in her game, offering feedback "in a nice way".[4][6][7]

In February 2022, as Sabalenka resisted her team's efforts to rework her serve while having high-profile trouble with double faults, Dubrov offered to resign, but Sabalenka convinced him to stay on, promising that "we'll come back stronger".[8][9][10] An expert in biomechanics was brought in to help fix her serve in August 2022, and after winning her first Major singles title at the 2023 Australian Open, she thanked her "craziest team on tour" of Dubrov and fitness trainer Jason Stacy for supporting her over a tumultuous previous year.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Anton Dubrov". Association of Tennis Professionals. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Anton Dubrov Tennis Player Profile". itftennis.com. International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  3. ^ Oddo, Chris (15 November 2020). "Sabalenka and Dubrov Carving a Path to Success". tennisnow.com. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Kane, David (15 November 2020). "Sabalenka credits refined coaching team, pre-match prep for 2020 surge". wtatennis.com. Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  5. ^ Di Lorito, Paolo (22 September 2020). "È già finita la collaborazione tra Sabalenka e Kindlmann" [The collaboration between Sabalenka and Kindlmann has already ended]. ubitennis.net (in Italian). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  6. ^ Chowdhury, Priyabata (8 January 2021). "Aryna Sabalenka Reveals How Hiring Former Hitting Partner as Coach Has Helped Her Tennis". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  7. ^ Nguyen, Courtney (10 May 2021). "Insider Wrap: Why Sabalenka's Madrid win is a game changer". wtatennis.com. Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  8. ^ Clarey, Christopher (28 January 2023). "Big Risks and Big Rewards for Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. ^ Tan, Gill (29 January 2023). "Writers reflect: Favourite AO 2023 moments". ausopen.com. Australian Open. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  10. ^ a b Fendrich, Howard (28 January 2023). "Analysis: Aussie Open champ Sabalenka reworked serve, belief". Associated Press. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  11. ^ Fendrich, Howard (28 January 2023). "Aryna Sabalenka wins 1st Grand Slam title at Australian Open". Associated Press. Retrieved 17 March 2023.

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