Rauza Mukhamedzhanovna Islanova (born February 8, 1948, in the selo of Rybushkino, Krasnooktyabrsky District, Gorky Region) is a Soviet tennis player and Russian coach, an International Master of Sport of the USSR (1976) and an Honored Coach of Russia (2000). A native of the Nizhny Novgorod area, she trained several world-class players, including the world No. 1 players Marat Safin and Dinara Safina.[3]

Sports Career

She played for the Spartak sports society (Moscow) and trained under K. A. Borisova, S. P. Mirza, and Z. G. Cheryatova.[3] She was twice USSR junior girls' singles champion (1965, 1966), winner of the 1967 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR as part of the Moscow team, and winner of the 1969 USSR Cup with the Spartak team.[1] In 1968, as part of the USSR junior girls' team, she won the Suabo Cup.[1]

At the senior level, she was a finalist at the USSR Championships in singles (1969) and doubles (1967), a medalist in doubles at the USSR Championships (1976), winner of the All-Union Winter Competitions in doubles (1971), singles and doubles champion of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions (1973), and overall champion of the Spartak sports society (1968).[3] From 1967 to 1976 she was consistently among the ten strongest women tennis players in the USSR, reaching a highest ranking of fifth (1968).[1]

Coaching Career

After finishing her playing career, Islanova graduated from the State Central Institute of Physical Culture (GTsOLIFK) and in 1976 moved into coaching at the Spartak Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve (Moscow).[1] Among her students are Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina, both of whom became Grand Slam champions, as well as her own children, Marat Safin and Dinara Safina, who both held the world No. 1 ranking.[4] Her students also include V. Vitels and O. Manapov.[3]

Islanova was repeatedly a laureate of the national tennis award, the Russian Cup (1998–2000, 2005, 2008), in the categories "Best Junior Coach," "Success of the Year," and "Best Coach." [4] In 2009 she was inducted into the Russian Tennis Hall of Fame, and in 2011 she received a special ITF award for her contribution to the development of tennis.[4]

Nizhny Novgorod Connection

Rauza Islanova was born in the selo of Rybushkino (now in Krasnooktyabrsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Region). The Nizhny Novgorod area is her native land, although her playing and coaching career was tied to Moscow.[3]

Sources

  1. museum.tennis-russia.ru — Islanova, Rauza Mukhamedzhanovna (b. 1948). — Russian Tennis Federation — official website
  2. infosport.ru — ISLANOVA Rauza Mukhamedzhanovna — Russian Athletes — Sporting Russia
  3. sport-strana.ru — Islanova Rauza Mukhamedzhanovna — Sport-strana.ru
  4. myseldon.com — Congratulations to Rauza Islanova — Sports