Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Laura Siegemund wants to become a doubles specialist - at some point
Laura Siegemund (WTA No. 231) competes in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix thanks to a WIldcard - she won in Stuttgart in 2017 . Her focus is currently still on singles, although she would like to become a doubles specialist.
by Florian Goosman from Stuttgart
last edit:
Apr 20, 2022, 07:16 am
Siegemund is fighting for her comeback again: the knee caused problems again, she injured herself here in Nuremberg in 2017, and the meniscus complaints, which have now brought her under the knife again, are they related? "You can assume that," Siegemund said on Media Day on Monday, even if nobody knew for sure. Actually, she should have been fit again after two months, but that wasn't the case, Siegemund puts it down to the past surgeries. "I just have my structures there now, they take a little longer to heal."
The 34-year-old is all the more grateful to start in Stuttgart via wildcard. Even if she is realistic: A field like here at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is "almost blatant than a slam", with almost exclusively players from the top 30. Sure, she has big plans, "but I want to be realistic about myself ."
Siegemund Germany's number 1 in doubles
While Siegemund is looking for singles matches, she has blossomed - almost on the side - into the best German doubles player, most recently winning in Miami with Vera Zvonareva. She is 40th in the ranking. And Siegemund would like more: "I said years ago that I would always like to become a double specialist because I see a lot of room for improvement here. I had very good results, I had a slam although I've only played doubles on the side before, and only a few tournaments," she explained. How could it go if she took all the tournaments with her...?
Siegemund's conflict: In singles there is still a "protected ranking" of 57th place, and it's difficult to say: "I only play doubles". But spending the autumn of your career exclusively in doubles: "I can definitely imagine that."
Difficult thing, the search
She is looking for the tournaments that Siegemund is currently playing in doubles. Siegemund's problem: partner Zvonareva is ailing and is taking a break. And she, Siegemund, doesn't want anyone: "I play doubles to win." A doubles specialist, however, would be "a great thing in terms of play", but she still has her current priority on singles, and the doubles specialist herself naturally wants to play weekly. Difficult...
In Stuttgart Siegemund is at the start with the Italian Jasmine Paolini, in the individual she drew Tamara Zidansek - in the event of a win there would be a duel with Maria Sakkari, who was fourth seeded. There wasn't much time until Monday afternoon to deal with her opening opponent: "If I weren't here, I would be there right now," she explained with a laugh. And now there are autograph sessions and other commitments. But Siegemund wanted to use Monday evening "to get me in the mood for the match again."