Goerges brings on Sluiter as coach, Vekic splits with Beltz

Julia Goerges has begun a coaching trial with Raemon Sluiter, the former coach of Kiki Bertens.

The 31-year-old German told Bild she had trained with the Dutch coach for a few days and then begun a trial at the start of this month. Sluiter will also go with Goerges to an event in Berlin next week.

"[I] have been with him in the Netherlands for ten days now," she said. "This is not enough time to make a full assessment. We want to see the way things are in Berlin and then decide what to do next. But I like his style, he is factual and positive.

"I didn’t touch a racquet at all for five weeks, I did a lot of fitness work then intensified my tennis again for the next six weeks."

It is the newest in a series of coaching changes for world No. 38 Goerges, who switched three times in 2019. Sluiter split with Bertens during the offseason in 2019.

In addition, Donna Vekic has split with her coach, Torben Beltz, who is also the former coach of Angelique Kerber. Vekic had been coached by Beltz since 2017, reaching a career-high of No. 19 in the rankings.

"Unfortunately Team Donna and I had different views in setting up the practice and tournament schedule for the restart of the tour," said Beltz, writing on social media.

But Vekic said it was "the first time" she was "hearing of different views in practice and tournament schedules," though the 24-year-old Croatian did not say  herself why the pair had split.