Anna-Lena Grönefeld has won 17 titles in tennis doubles in her career, in mixed she can even call herself a two-time Grand Slam winner. Grönefeld has won over 4.5 million US dollars in prize money. Now she says goodbye to tennis and dedicates herself to other areas of life. On Thursday, the longtime Fed Cup player announced her retirement.
"This little girl had dreams! For the last 18 years she was allowed to live one of them, but now it's time for her to hopefully fulfill another dream, that of having her own family," the 34-year-old wrote Photo on the tennis court from childhood.
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This little girl had dreams! For the last 18 years she was able to live one of them! But now it's time to hopefully fulfill another dream of having a family! I want to say thank you for being my partner through all these years in the ups and downs! My family, friends and all those who followed and supported me all these years! Thank you! ❤️ This little girl had dreams! The last 18 years she was allowed to live one of them! Now it is time for her to hopefully fulfill another dream, that of her own family! I thank all those who have always supported me, no matter if they were good times or not! My family, friends and all of you! Thank you! ❤️
A post shared by Anna-Lena Groenefeld (@annagroenefeld) on Dec 5, 2019 at 2:33 PST
Drama of a prodigy
When Grönefeld was 21 years old, she was celebrated as a new child prodigy in German tennis. Comparisons with Steffi Graf were, as for all aspiring talents in Germany, on the agenda. Grönefeld ranked 14th in the world rankings, and reached the quarter-finals at the French Open in 2006.
But only a few months later followed the crash, the focus was Grönefeld's relationship with her former coach Rafael Font de Mora, also the SPIEGEL reported on the "drama of a prodigy". The Spaniard had led Grönefeld to the top of the world, but according to their statements, they tormented, fought and controlled in all areas of life. And so in 2006, she renounced her sponsor for years - and felt free again.
It nevertheless followed the crash in the world rankings, 2007, she won only five singles matches. And yet Grönefeld continued to do so year after year, also playing tournaments on the second-rate ITF tour. In 2011, at the age of 26, she decided to play only doubles and mixed, where she had already enjoyed success in the years before.
In 2009, she won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in mixed on the side of Mark Knowles (Bahamas), five years later, she followed with the Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer at the French Open. Together with the Colombian Robert Farah, she also failed in 2016 at Wimbledon and a year later in Paris only in the final. With her Dutch double partner Demi Schuurs she recently moved to the semifinals at the WTA final of the best tennis players of the season in Shenzhen.
Grönefeld wants to get involved in the next generation
"I've tried to persuade her to stay one more year," said Barbara Rittner, "Head of Women's Tennis" at the German Tennis Association (DTB), especially with regard to the upcoming Fed Cup season: "She has had a great career, it was nice to have her with me and work with her as a team, and I think we can incorporate them into certain things here and there in the future. "
The tennis Gronefeld but also after the end of their active career is preserved. In the future, she will increasingly become involved with the Tennis Association Niedersachsen-Bremen (TNB) as a consultant for the next generation. "We are very proud to have such a successful player in the association," said association president Raik Packeiser.
