Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Andrea Petkovic were honored at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix WTA 500 tennis tournament for their remarkable careers in professional tennis. The ceremony was a special moment for both players, as they reflected on their accomplishments and the hard work that it took to get there.
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a former world No.7 in doubles and No.14 in singles, retired from professional tennis in 2019 after a successful career spanning over sixteen years. The German player won one WTA singles title and 17 women’s doubles titles, in addition to two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles (Wimbledon 2009 and Roland Garros 2014).
Andrea Petkovic, a former Top 10 player and Grand Slam singles semifinalist, announced her retirement from tennis last year. The German star won seven WTA singles titles and one doubles title during her illustrious career which was cut short due to her body’s physical limitations:
I think for me I still love the game, still have a tremendous amount of passion for the game. It’s more the body that is not allowing me to play tennis anymore in a way that I want to play it, train the way I want to train, just play a full season really.
The ceremony in Stuttgart was a touching tribute to two players who have made significant contributions to the sport of tennis. Fans and fellow players alike gathered to celebrate Groenefeld and Petkovic’s achievements and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
As Jimmie48‘s photos from the ceremony show, Groenefeld and Petkovic were both emotional during the event, yet carried wide smiles as they were applauded for their achievements. The ceremony was a fitting way to recognize these two outstanding athletes and the mark they have left on the history of tennis in Germany.
