Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova has decided to split with her tennis coach Sven Groeneveld following her shock first round exit from the WTA Indian Wells tournament.
After four years of working together, the decision to go their separate ways was a mutual one, Sharapova said on Friday.
“After four successful and challenging years of collaboration together, I would like to thank Sven for his incredible loyalty, work ethic and most importantly the friendship that we have formed that will go beyond this working partnership,” Sharapova said in a news release.
“Although we have mutually agreed to part ways during this time, I have been incredibly fortunate to have a team leader like him in my corner.”
“Maria has been one of the most hardworking and professional players I have ever worked with. Her strength and fighting spirit will continue to be a force to reckon with and I have the deepest respect for her as a player and person,” stated Groeneveld of the Netherlands.
For Sharapova the loss to the 20-year-old Osaka was one other painful reminder that it is again to the drafting board for the Russian as she makes her method again from a 15-month medicine ban.
It was her second first spherical loss in a row after she withdrew from the Dubai match with a forearm harm.
In her solely Grand Slam look this year, Sharapova reached the third spherical of the Australian Open earlier than dropping to Angelique Kerber.
The Dutchman previously worked with Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Mary Pierce, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki, also being part of the Adidas tennis program, and he started to coach Sharapova in 2014.
“I tried not to get overconfident about that (win against Sharapova) and focused on playing my own game”, said Osaka, now ranked 44th in the world.
“I wanted to do well here and not just because I won this event a couple times”, said Sharapova, who won the Indian Wells title in 2006 and 2013 but was unseeded for this year’s event, having dropped to 41 in the rankings.
In her only Grand Slam appearance this year, Sharapova reached the third round of the Australian Open before losing to Angelique Kerber.
