Tennis is in shock as the wife of former world champion Mikhail Youzhny reportedly dies after a long battle with illness
- The wife of retired Russian star Mikhail Yuzhny has reportedly died
- The mother of three was believed to be battling a long-term illness
- Former world number 8 has not confirmed the sad news himself
The tennis world is reeling after the reported death of Yulia Youzhny, wife of former world number eight and Russian star Mikhail Youzhny.
Yulia is said to have died in Dubai after a long illness. veteran tennis reporter Cindy Shmerler posted on X.
The couple, who married in 2008, have three children, sons Maxim and Igor, plus a young daughter, born after Youzhny retired from the professional circuit in 2018.
The 41-year-old Youzhny reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams and reached the semi-finals twice at the US Open.
Dubbed the 'Beast', he also won the Davis Cup with Russia in 2002 and 2006 before turning his attention to coaching, working with Canadian star Denis Shapovalov in 2019 and 2020.
The tennis world has been rocked following the reported death of Yulia Youzhny (pictured left), wife of former world number eight Mikhail Youzhny (center)
Russian star Youzhny, 41, reached the quarter-finals of all four Grand Slams and reached the semi-finals at the US Open twice in his decorated career
He became a global sensation in 2008 after drawing blood by hitting a racket on his forehead during a match at the Miami Open (pictured)
Youzhny is perhaps best known for hitting a racket on his forehead during a 2008 ATP match at the Miami Open against Nicolas Almagro.
The frustrated Russian drew blood and remarkably managed to win the match in three sets after a medical timeout.
His wife had not appeared on his Instagram feed for more than three years before the report surfaced on Thursday.
Shmerler used the same post to report that Belarusian Max Mirnyi – a former top doubles player who retired in 2018 – is recovering in Florida after “surgery for a malignant brain tumor.”
The 46-year-old won the French Open men's doubles title in 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2012, in addition to teaming up with Serena Williams to win the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1998.