WTA Finals: Not yet in holiday mood: Grönefeld dreams of the Singapore Coup

Anna-Lena Grönefeld is the only German participant in the WTA final in Singapore. The 32-year-old has fulfilled a long-cherished dream with her participation in the doubles competition.

Anna-Lena Grönefeld is currently able to see for herself the advantages of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore at close quarters: an idyllic roof garden and pool are enthroned over the three 55-storey towers of her hotel at a height of just under 200 metres. Grönefeld lives in paradise.

But she is not in holiday mood. Starting Thursday, the 32-year-old and her Czech double partner Kveta Peschke will compete for the crown at the WTA final in the Asian city-state. The best eight teams of the season compete for the Martina Navratilova trophy in the knockout system.

And Grönefeld, type of reliability in person, is one of the debutants at the unofficial World Championships:”It took me a long enough time to qualify,” said the Fed Cup player with a smile to the SID and said:”I have, of course, fulfilled a dream after such a long time.

Her boyfriend Ingo Herzgerodt and her parents will be attending the special premiere. It is nothing new for Grönefeld that the doubles competition in Singapore is clearly lagging behind the individual competition,”says Grönefeld,” Of course, you are always a bit the last link in the chain of tournaments. But you know that before when you play doubles,”said the two-time Grand Slam winner in the Mixed. You can hear a slight bathing, but there is no sign of bitterness.

Grönefeld knows the other side of the field. In 2006, the 1.80-metre tall right-hander was in the quarter-finals of the French Open and ranked 14th in the WTA ranking. At that time, she enjoyed the privileges enjoyed by successful single players. But in October 2011, the Nordhorn player ended her single career on the professional tour after a gruelling psycho war with her former coach.

Today she is “happy”, as Grönefeld tells us. She found her place on the tour. And the longing glances towards the preferred competitor?”I’ve taken them off. I feel very comfortable with what I do and don’t want to play single again,”said Grönefeld.

With Peschke, ten years her senior (“The term girlfriend is right here”), she wants to surprise everyone in Singapore. The pairing is not one of the four seeded duos, but there is still a lot of self-confidence:”When you start at a tournament,”emphasized the introverted Grönefeld,”you want to win as many matches as possible, of course”.

Even top favourites Martina Hingis/Young-Jan Chan (Switzerland/Taiwan) have been able to defeat the elective Hanoverian and her partner twice this season. Grönefeld and Peschke won the event in Prague in 2017 and reached the final of Toronto and the semi-finals of Wimbledon respectively.

From Hingis (37), currently the best double player, Grönefeld looks at something else every now and then:”Martina has an unbelievable understanding of the game and knows when to do what she has to do”.

At least next season Grönefeld wants to join the professional circus and enjoy the “super life”, but I would like to have a family someday,”she said, who already knows:” I will look back proudly on my career. I’ll never earn as much as I do as a tennis pro.”

According to WTA, the 32-year-old has so far received around 3.87 million dollars in prize money. There could be more in Singapore. After the tournament, I fly with my boyfriend directly to Thailand,”Grönefeld reported. Off to the next paradise – so to speak.