Who Is Karolína Muchová’s Coach, Sven Groeneveld?

4 min read

Karolína Muchová turned professional in 2013 and spent years making noise without making headlines. The Czech tennis player reached the French Open final in 2023 after saving a match point against world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. She did it while ranked No. 43 in the world. She has since become known as “one of the most athletic players” on the WTA Tour.

Injuries repeatedly interrupted her momentum, including wrist surgery that wiped out much of 2024. But Muchová has bounced back, and in February 2026, she won her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open. At the start of 2026, she hired a new coach after ending the partnership with her previous one, coach Emil Mišek, for the second time. As she competes in the Wimbledon semifinals, get to know more about Muchová’s coach, Sven Groeneveld.

Groeneveld had a brief professional playing career.Robert Prange//Getty Images

Muchová talks to Groeneveld ahead of the semifinals during the 2026 Bad Homburg Open.

Sven Groeneveld was born July 22, 1965, in Haarlem, Netherlands. He played college tennis in the United States at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri before transferring to the University of Kansas, then turned professional around age 19. His playing career was short. Groeneveld reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 826 in 1986, recorded no match wins on the ATP Tour. He retired in 1989 at age 24, and moved directly into coaching.

He built his reputation in the 1990s working with top tennis pros.

Groeneveld’s first major assignment came in late 1991, when a one-week trial with American Monica Seles in Japan grew into a longer partnership. Seles won the 1992 Australian Open under his guidance, defeating compatriot Mary Joe Fernandez in the final.

He took on France’s Mary Pierce in 1993 and coached her to the 1995 Australian Open title, where she did not drop a set throughout the tournament. He then worked with Germany’s Michael Stich, helping him reach the 1996 French Open final, and with Greg Rusedski, who won multiple titles during a strong 1999 season. From 1997 to 1998, he served as head coach of the Swiss Tennis Federation, where he worked with junior players, including a 16-year-old Roger Federer.

He guided Maria Sharapova to a Grand Slam title.Scott Barbour//Getty Images

Groeneveld and Ivanovic at practice during the 2009 Australian Open.

Groeneveld coached Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic from 2007 to early 2009. She won the 2008 French Open, where she finished in straight sets. His focus on her serve, including drills to improve arm motion and velocity, helped her hit speeds above 110 miles per hour. “Mobility is not as much of a weapon for Ana as for smaller girls,” Groeneveld told The New York Times in 2008, “so you look to compensate for that by making your serve a weapon.”

miguel medina//Getty Images

Groeneveld with Sharapova at Roland Garros in 2015.

He also worked with Caroline Wozniacki from 2010 through 2013, primarily serving as a consulting coach and high-performance expert through the Adidas Player Development Program rather than her full-time, private coach. Britain’s Andy Murray also turned to Groeneveld for guidance during the 2011 season through the Adidas program.

Clive Brunskill//Getty Images

Andy Murray talking to Groeneveld during practice at the 2011 French Open.

From 2014 to 2018, he worked with Maria Sharapova, during which time she won seven WTA titles including the 2014 French Open. She also made appearances in multiple Grand Slam finals. They ended their partnership in 2018. “You have to be extremely on the ball, always give 100%, because Maria always left everything on the court,” Groeneveld later said about Sharapova in a 2020 interview.

His recent competitors include a wheelchair tennis legend.Robert Prange//Getty Images

Bianca Andreescu listens to Groeneveld during practice at the 2022 Grand Prix Stuttgart.

Groeneveld coached Canada’s Bianca Andreescu from 2021 through 2022, helping her rebuild after injury following her 2019 U.S. Open title. He worked with Botic van de Zandschulp for five months in 2023, during which the Dutchman reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals. He then coached Sorana Cîrstea in 2025, a season in which she won a WTA 250 title in Cleveland.

“I need to feel that I can add value to the player, that’s number one,” Groeneveld said when asked what gives him fulfillment in his role as a coach. “And number two is whether the player can teach me something as well. When I work with a player like Sorana, who has years and years of experience and her routine, it’s not about me at all, it’s more about her. It depends on the player you work with to find that necessary connection to improve the relationship so that they can reach their full potential.”

He also coached wheelchair tennis champion Esther Vergeer from 2009 to 2013, during which she extended an undefeated singles streak dating back to 2003. During her tenure, she won multiple Grand Slam titles, and claimed gold at the 2012 London Paralympics. In 2013, he told ESPN that he wondered what he could teach someone who hadn’t lost in six years, but he was later amazed by her willingness to try to get even better.

Groeneveld has a daughter who competed at Miss Universe.Hector Vivas//Getty Images

Fabiënne Nicole Groeneveld at the 2023 Miss Universe Competition.

In 2007, Groeneveld co-founded OrangeCoach, an online platform connecting coaches with academies, clubs, and resorts worldwide. It had more than 20,000 registered coaches globally as of 2024. In his personal life, he is married to Natalia Cecilia Tanudjaja, a Chinese Indonesian businesswoman. Their daughter, Fabiënne Nicole Groeneveld, born in 1999, was crowned Miss Universe Indonesia 2023 and represented Indonesia at that year’s Miss Universe competition.

Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.