Svetlana Kuznetsova has spoken with Dinara Safina and revealed that the former world No. 1 worked with Polina Kudermetova for two weeks in Dubai, but won't fly to the Australian Open.
On Thursday, it was announced that former three-time Grand Slam finalist Safina agreed to join world No. 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 pro match in 2011, rejected multiple coaching offers in the past before joining Diana Shnaider's team in April. However, that collaboration was short-lived since they went their separate ways after just four weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kuznetsova, a former two-time Grand Slam champion, was excited to hear about Safina's latest gig and instantly reached out to the 39-year-old. And according to the information that Kuznetsova received, the former 13-time WTA champion will likely join Kudermetova in tournaments once the Australian swing concludes.
Kuznetsova: Safina trained with Kudermetova for two weeks, but won't accompany her at the Australian Open
"I saw the news in the press that Dinara would be coaching 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 join Polina for a training session, and they agreed to try working together," Kuznetsova revealed, via Russian publication Championat.
"Dinara isn't planning to fly to the Australian Open, and we'll see what happens next, which I think is logical. In any case, I wish the new tandem good luckmay everything work out for the best!"
ADVERTISEMENT
Kudermetova is a 22-year-old player who is a nine-time champion on the lower-tier and has been ranked as high as No. 54 in the world. In early 2025, she fell just short of becoming a 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.
