For twelve months, Anna-Lena Groenefeld’s tennis career has been a waking nightmare.
Compared to the days when she was on the verge of cracking the top 10, all Anna-Lena Groenefeld wants now is to get her focus back on her game, instead of her ex-coach’s abuse and her fragile mental strength.
“It’s now exactly one year that I’d say that I dropped my level a little bit, then there came the thing with my coach, and it’s still going on, and he still thinks he’s the man of the world,” admitted Groenefeld today after losing yet another first round match. This time she lost to Nika Ozegovic, a player who has never even reached the top 170 in the world.
“So it’s not easy right now,” added Groenefeld.
Splits with coaches are hardly ever easy, but according to Groenefeld, instead of parting ways peacefully Rafael Font de Mora left determined to ruin her future career.
It’s not uncommon to see former coaches airing their grievances to the public, but Font de Mora has decided to take it a step further. Scouting reports are one thing, tracking down your former protégé’s opponents and telling them point-blank all her weaknesses is a completely different matter.
They may not be working together any more, but he certainly is still in her head.
“He gave them all the tactics how she had to play me,” added Groenefeld about how Font de Mora has been talking to her opponents. “When you know that, it’s always in your head and you just can’t throw it away.”
What is Anna-Lena Groenefeld’s plan of attack to combat her ex-coach’s plans?
The silent treatment.
Instead of confronting him or worse, going “down to his level”, Groenefeld has chosen to avoid talking to him, in hopes of not making the situation any more volatile.
“I don’t talk to him at all,” said Groenefeld. “And as I know him, I got to know him well, I think, and if I would go up to him and say something to him, it would just make him do it even more.”
After having a good relationship with him during their three year stint of coaching, it baffles Groenefeld why he would stoop so low to continue to hurt her career.
“The whole three years I worked with him I had a good relationship with him,” believes Groenefeld. “It’s sad to see that after such a long time that he’s like this. Maybe he cannot get over it that we don’t practice anymore, whatever it is. I don’t know, I don’t want to get down to his level, I just try to forget about it, although it’s not that easy right now.”
The days of defeating top players and pushing at the door of the top 10 are gone for the moment, but Groenefeld is hopeful that they may not be gone forever.
First though, she has to get over the situation in her own head.
“I think right now it’s not about the forehand and backhand,” conceded Groenefeld. “It’s more about the mental part of the game. It’s more dealing with the situation I’m in right now. For sure I think I will be able to play at top level again. It depends how long it will be or when it will be. But I’ve seen in the past I can do it, so why can’t I do it in the future? I still have a lot of years ahead of me.”
May i just ask you when this picture has been taken please???
2005, no???
You’re right Nexty!
The image was taken in June of 2005 at S’Hertogenbosch.