Maria Sharapova announced on Thursday that she has hired a new coach for the upcoming tennis season. The 26-year-old will be working with Sven Groeneveld (pictured far left), who has a reputation for helping to train and coach some of the top female players over the past two decades.
“I’m happy to announce my official partnership with Sven Groeneveld,” Sharapova wrote on Facebook. “We’ve been working together since I got back on the court and after seeing him on the opposing side for so many years, I’m excited to have him become a part of my team.
“It has been a very seamless transition and I have had a lot of fun with the hard work we have put in so far. Looking forward to the year ahead.”
Sharapova expressed similar optimism when Jimmy Connors was hired as her coach, but that partnership didn’t last very long. In fact, Sharapova only stuck with Connors for one match before ditching him. She missed the US Open and end of the season because of a shoulder injury that flared up in Cincinnati.
Groeneveld recently served as a coach and consultant at the Adidas Player Development Program. He most notably has coached Monica Seles, Mary Pierce and Ana Ivanovic. Hopefully for Sharapova’s sake this partnership works out well.
