Who is Aryna Sabalenka’s new coach? Former world No 1 joins Grand Slam champion’s entourage

Oli Dickson Jefford 11 Aug 2025 12:03 PM

Pictured: Aryna Sabalenka and new coach Max Mirnyi.

WTA star Aryna Sabalenka and coach Max Mirnyi.

Aryna Sabalenka has sealed her place as one of the leading players of her era, with a string of notable milestones.

The 27-year-old has spent 50 weeks (and counting) as the world No 1 and is a three-time Grand Slam champion, with two Australian Open and a US Open title to her name.

Sabalenka will defend her 2024 US Open title later this summer with long-term coach Anton Dubrov aiding her charge, alongside fitness trainer Jason Stacy and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.

However, the Belarusian has now made an intriguing new hire, bringing in compatriot Max Mirnyi for the summer hard-court swing.

Here, we look back at Mirnyi’s incredible career and what he could bring to the WTA world No 1’s game.

Who is Max Mirnyi?

Mirnyi is one of the most successful and accomplished players in Belarusian tennis history, achieving huge success across his long career.

Born in July 1977, the 48-year-old reached a career-high of world No 18 in singles, winning the 2003 Rotterdam Open title, and progressing to the last eight of the 2002 US Open.

However, he was most known for his prowess on the doubles court, cementing his place as one of the leading doubles stars of his era.

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Mirnyi was the winner of four French Open and two US Open men’s doubles titles, with further runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and Wimbledon to his name.

The Belarusian won 52 men’s doubles titles in total and spent 57 weeks as the world No 1, with notable doubles partners including Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, and Daniel Nestor.

He also won four Grand Slam mixed titles, including the 1998 Wimbledon and US Open titles alongside Serena Williams, and struck gold at the London 2012 Olympics partnered with Victoria Azarenka.

Mirnyi called time on his career in 2018, earning over $11m in career prize money, and spent time coaching former ATP world No 4 Kei Nishikori following his retirement from the sport.

How can he help Sabalenka?

Sabalenka and Mirnyi have a compatriot connection, though what exactly will the two work on?

Much like Mirnyi, Sabalenka has found huge success on the doubles court.

The 27-year-old captured the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open titles partnered alongside Elise Mertens, and was the WTA doubles world No 1 for six weeks.

Despite her past prowess on the doubles court, Sabalenka revealed this week that her wish to improve her net play was a key factor behind her decision.

“He is very intelligent,” said Sabalenka, speaking on Tennis Channel. “I am very happy to see him enjoying life; he went through very tough situations.

“He is definitely helping us with the net work. He also gave me a couple of tips on the serve, which are really working well for now, and I hope they only get better.

“Bringing a new voice to the team is also important.”

Sabalenka’s coaching partnership with Dubrov, who has been her lead coach since 2020, has proven to be extremely fruitful.

However, it will be fascinating to see what Mirnyi can add to the three-time Grand Slam singles champion’s game, and if the doubles great can help push his compatriot to even greater heights.