Whilst it may be a run-of-the-mill Tuesday morning in London to many, that isn’t the case for the focused folk around me. Where the majority are largely unimpressed by the low-key hum of city-centre roadworks and rush-hour traffic, there is more of a buzz in the air for some of the better dressed travellers. And that’s because tennis is back in town. 

Tube routes are packed in the direction of SW19. As stations home in on the sport’s main event, billboards are the familiar green and purple. Emma Raducanu is again a poster girl. As is the last stand of Andy Murray. 

It’s as you’d expect. Straw hats and cream linen blazers. There’s the odd shirt and tie. Most are dressed at the smarter end of smart-casual. All have put the effort in, in one form or another. A thoroughly British day out at the All-England tennis club.

Wimbledon Park Road is lined with pop-up coffee shops. Progress is at times marred by localised protests about recent industrial developments, creating a steady stream of traffic rolling in. On foot, by car, and by train. Emerging from Southfields station is a sweat sport. With all roads leading to Centre Court for the lucky ones. 

Four miles west of Wimbledon Road, the most winningest sportsperson on the planet is starting her warm-up. At Roehampton Tennis Club, Diede de Groot faces her first test of the grass court season, playing on Court 2 against world number seven, Ziying Wang of China. It’s a distinctly quieter affair in Roehampton where security guards, players, and ground staff outnumber spectators ten to one.

 

 

The most winningest sports person on the planet, Diede de Groot, in conversation with the author. 

 

“It’s probably for the best,” says the Dutch champion, making a positive of the sparsity of attendance. “I get nervous playing in front of big crowds and if anyone’s taking photos, that’s another story.” 

This forms part of the briefest of conversations; pre match. She’s quietly spoken, and also to the point in her answers. Which is good, in this instance, as we’re having to lean over some temporary event fencing to make ourselves heard. She says, as is the way of athletes, that she is wholly focused on this game and this game only. And that’s despite it only being a warm-up for her Wimbledon tournament to start proper next week. 

Stood here at the Lexus British Open, it’s hard not to look ahead towards grander occasions. With September’s Paralympic Games looming around the corner, de Groot is striving to repeat her Golden Slam of 2021 – where she became the first person ever to win four Grand Slams and two gold medals in the same year (Steffi Graf did win a singles Golden Slam in 1988 but apart from that it’s a feat unachieved).

As stories go, born with unequal leg lengths, the 27-year-old took up tennis aged seven. And now some 20 years later, she says it’s playing the game that remains her truest sense of self expression. “I love being in England, on grass, dressed in white. It’s a special occasion. And a real feeling of freedom for me moving across the court at pace.”

De Groot won her first Grand Slam in 2017. And will soon return to the scene where a shy 19-year-old lifted Wimbledon’s silver jug for what was the first of 22 singles titles. It was one of five Wimbledon Championships. Plus six Australian Open titles, five French Open wins, and six US Open trophies. For comparison, her later referenced inspirations, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have 20 and 22 respectively. Novak Djokovic, 10 years her elder, currently sits on 24, and Serena Williams retired with 23.

Championships aside, today is a struggle. De Groot eventually wins out 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, following a more-than-troublesome scrap against the world number seven. Our 40-time-total Grand Slam champion (including her 19 doubles honours) is quick to exit the court. And shake off the performance.  

We’d arranged to speak via Instagram weeks before. With pleasantries out of the way, she’s equally prompt to get to business. Although it’s practicalities at the top of the list. A shower, in fact. To wash off one of her tougher days at the office. 

Back 15 minutes later, de Groot is now wearing a prosthetic limb. She carries a cream Nike duffle bag and places her Yonex racket on the table where we sit. It’s not much, in the way of kit, not compared to what the ‘big boys’ carry around. But both sponsorships play an equal role in her development as a player by all accounts. “It’s a fairly big deal for me, the Nike sponsorship arrived two months before I won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and when Nike want to support you, a lot of other brands – and the media – tend to perk up a bit.” The superbrand’s endorsement of de Groot is further evidenced by a recent Instagram post captioned ‘Game. Set. Unmatched.’

Sat on a picnic table outside – surrounded by planters – it’s the repetitive sounds of racket on ball that add an additional level of calm to match the Woerden-born 27-year-old’s own demeanour. It’s punctuated by, “God sakes, use your fucking eyes, umpire, the games over here!” It comes from one of the junior courts. Prompting de Groot to roll her eyes. “The umpires are just doing their job, usually players react like that when they’re losing.” 

Back on track, the Utrecht resident adds, “Personally, I always feel so calm playing on grass, there’s something about it. There’s this strange hush. A murmur, almost. Particularly at Wimbledon. And softness to the sound of the ball bouncing. No squeak of the shoes or chairs on the court. I love the nature here; we’ve been through Richmond Park a few times already,” she says, glancing over her shoulder. With 20-odd tennis courts, scaling back towards the Capital’s biggest park. 

 

 

Last time out, the Queen of (all) Courts wins her fifth Wimbledon singles Championship.

 

Prior to speaking – having sat down on Roehampton’s green bucket seats some two hours before our conversation to watch the 40-time Major champion play – you might have been excused for thinking you had the wrong location. The wrong game even.

After the best part of 25 minutes, the first set of her summer was over. With de Groot struggling to land a serve, making three doubles (winning just 40 per cent of her points), and her opponent Ziying Wang seemingly in the driving seat. The 25-year-old from China had started the match six games to two the better, Wang looked like a true challenger. Champion. Almost.

And that’s no mean feat. As before this game de Groot had only lost once in four years, winning 14 consecutive Grand Slams in the process. “It’s always difficult to transition to grass,” she tells us at the match’s conclusion. “Being in a wheelchair on this surface is so physical. Normally one push will get you to the tramlines but on grass you have to fight to stay in the point. But I like that challenge, physicality is one of my strengths.”

With rain threatening to stop play on more than one occasion – as it had done earlier in the day – moving on this damp and cover-free court looked increasingly difficult as the game went on. But form returned at the levels that saw de Groot drop just one set in her journey to a fifth Championship win at Roland Garros in June.

With a modest crowd gathering for the second set, there to witness her recovery – and with world number two, Yui Kamiji of Japan watching from the stands – it was the glances from de Groot towards her coach, Amanda Hopmans, that were most frequent. Each gesture noted, all signalling her resurgence. The final game finishes without a dropped point, and from there this champion of everything, everywhere, all at once, is through to the next round. 

There’s a shake of hands at the net, signalling a job well done. De Groot even takes the time to talk to the ball boys and girls after the match. “That never-say-die winning mentality is something I’ve been working on,” she tells us after the game, “I have been scared to lose for so long. It’s debilitating. 

“Chasing not to lose is like a pink elephant (The Pink Elephant Paradox illustrates that trying to suppress a thought is likely to make it more intrusive), the stakes feel much greater with each win. Each passing point, even. And being scared to lose is not a good place to be in sport. Or in any walk of life for that matter.”

She refers to Roger Federer’s recent speech which he delivered to the graduating class at Dartmouth College as being something that has ‘got her through’. “He explained that he won almost 80 per cent of the 1,526 singles matches he played in his career but only 54 per cent of the points.” 

 

 

King Rog gets the better of Britain's Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2012. 

 

Paraphrasing now, the Paralympic champion continues: “In other words, even top-ranked players win barely more than half of the points they play. When you lose every second point on average, you can’t dwell on every shot. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is, to Federer, the sign of a champion, the best in the world. And, not the best because they win every point. But because they know they’ll lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it.”

Whilst her relationship with tennis’ top turns might not be a personal one, de Groot unapologetically makes clear that, “As a fan, watching the men play is a delight. I remember sharing a lift with Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros. And while lift conversations are never comfortable, or desirable, he’s one of my idols so I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. It turned out that he’s just as shy as I am, so the conversation didn’t go beyond a friendly exchange of ‘good luck’. But that meant the world to me.”

When prodded, we talk about the recent loss to Lu Xiaihui in May, her response was a refreshing one: “It was a little bit strange. On the one hand, losing was normal, because tennis players lose. And on the other hand, it was special, because historically I don't. It offered the chance to reset. The chance to win again instead of not losing. That’s something that I’m relishing here for the first time.

“You generally get bigger crowds in the UK, the British public will watch tennis of any kind, not just able-bodied.” She continues, following a flutter of applause from Court 1. Seeing eventual Wimbledon Wheelchair Men’s Champion, Alfie Hewett, get the better of Holland’s Maikel Scheffers.

“For the people visiting, it’s a day out, they dress so posh, eat their strawberries and drink their Pimm’s. I think it’s a funny combination. Everyone is so relaxed. If you combine that with the aesthetics of the place, everything feels perfect, the flowers on the walls, the grass feels like it’s cut by hand. It’s amazing. The nature of the event here makes me want to play perfect tennis.

“My parents are into plants, seeds, bees and butterflies. A career in wheelchair tennis wasn’t my first choice, I don’t think it is for anyone, so returning to Wimbledon each year is almost like combining the two.”

Just like her father, who owns a company operating in the field of endemic plants and seeds, de Groot’s love for nature seems completely natural. “I was planning on studying biology, but they told me I could only miss three lessons a year.” She says, only half-jokingly. “It’s not exactly easy to have other hobbies when you’re playing on tour. I like to say that I’m still in my gap year so there may be time for university yet. And I will always love the natural world, as it reminds me of home.

“Visiting my parents is always a means to re-wild myself. I live in an apartment, which means that space isn’t necessarily a given. Getting out and cycling through the city with friends is something that makes me happy. It’s an intrinsically Dutch pastime, yes, but seeing the canals and surrounding myself with the people and places I love is key for me to refresh my mind.

 

 

Diede de Groot poses for a photoshoot in Amsterdam on her bike. Which she loves by all accounts.

 

“We get six weeks off after Wimbledon, which will be special, I’m normally used to having only four days at home. So I’m looking forward to really seeing how I can improve my mind as a human being.” 

Despite the long season, it seems her game at the British Open is again up to scratch. Mostly. Projecting beyond our interview, it will be her loss in the final against Japan’s Yui Kamiji that ends the run. Seeing the second seed bettering de Groot for the second time this year. 

The year, according to de Groot, is on every level a little different. With the Paralympic Games in Paris, everyone has upped their game. Typified by the amount of preparation having gone into the clay court season, upon which the medals will be fought out. 

Winning there for a fifth time recently, de Groot’s wheel marks are those to match. Having won the last four French Open titles means that anything short of gold in Paris would be a major upset by all accounts. 

“After winning gold in Tokyo last time out, I noticed a demand to speak to more and more people. Sponsorships and media responsibilities continue to take up more of my time. It’s great to be a spokesperson for the sport, and it really does feel like we’re going somewhere, but that pressure can weigh heavy sometimes. That pressure can take my mind away from the court, as I mentioned earlier.

“I’m supported by my tennis federation and fully integrated into the able-bodied programme. But that isn’t the case for everyone. It’s an expensive pastime, and for those not winning every week, wheelchair tennis – wheelchair anything for that matter – is a real struggle.”

To be in and around the sport now is to be reminded of this Paralympic buzz that she talks about. The prize pot at the British Open is £38,000, much greater than in years previous. And the reward on offer is more than doubled at Wimbledon. 

Although de Groot is able to walk, drive, bike and do pretty much everything else with a prosthesis in her daily life, playing tennis is only possible in a specially designed wheelchair. “They can cost around £9,000 new,” she says. “Luckily my sponsorship with Renault just about covers that.” Their logo is imprinted on the back of her carbon-fibre chair and exists as another visible advantage to many of her counterparts.

“I’m doing well so I don’t have to worry about the money as much as some. But there was a time – even when winning Slams – when I’d have to scrap for every Euro I could find. And everything would go back into tennis.”

And now, as if her pursuits at the precipice of her sport weren’t already enough, the Dutchwoman turns to give back to those who don’t. “Charity work grows naturally for me now. Partnering with Esther Vergeer (43-time Major champion) for her foundation brings me so much pride. Her foundation introduces children with a disability to sport and the positive effects it can have.

“There’s some debating between us to see who is the best at what we do, but it’s like comparing music from different generations. An interesting conversation, yes, but the genre is not even close. She was never able to play a singles tournament at Wimbledon, which shows how far the sport has come. How far it is going. 

“It’s great to see that I can help, having an influence on children now – even just showing up at some tournaments and talking to people makes a difference to lives who may not have had it as easy as you and I.”

With our conversation concluded on that charitable note, we walk down the grass banks of the clubhouse and past Court No.1, where play has now closed for the day. Walking in her prosthetic isn’t easy, she says, “but it’s something I have had to get used to, this is much more natural for me than being in my chair.”

Being followed around by some fairly-extensive photography equipment makes us somewhat conspicuous. As a result, Diede receives a barrage of ‘chat’ from her Dutch counterparts who are waiting for a bus to take them back to their hotel. As a monolinguist, it’s impossible for me to tell what they’re saying but it sounds like some mild ribbing. “They’re talking about the camera,” she says, “we’re going to watch the football after this.” The Netherlands are playing Romania in the Last 16 of the Euros, and if you don’t recall it’s a match The Oranje won 3-0.

She’s not a massive fan of the sport but always backs the Dutch. The same goes for the Tour de France, she’s keeping up with Dutch team Jumbo-Visma, Wout van Aert is her favourite rider but she’s equally quick to praise the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish. “Cycling is big in Holland. Much bigger than tennis.” And one thing these wheeled legends have in common is the ability to bounce back.

De Groot doesn’t particularly like having her photo taken she says.  But having done shoots for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Renault, and Nike she’s used to it. I ask her if she follows fashion, where she answers with a shake of the head. “People think I do, but I only like clothes if they look good on me.” 

 

 

Lady in Red: Diede de Groot poses for another photoshoot.

 

Marketing herself and the sport, she adds, has become something of a full-time job. “But the travel is the worst part. Going to Australia is a real challenge – the country is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but the flight is just too much. At least I’ve got a few trophies to show for it. But they’re a nightmare to fly back home!”

With a final laugh and a smile, we’re done. A time for goodbyes and good luck for what is going to be a hectic summer. Paralympic tennis will be hosted at Roland-Garros from August 30 to September 7, and the world’s affection for this modern-day great is likely to grow ever fonder.  

The aforementioned British Open final exit at the hands of world number two Yui Kamiji, 7-5, 6-3 in the final, was a shock, yes, but not one that de Groot hadn’t foreseen.

Casting forward to what was her post-match interview – with the result still raw – de Groot mentioned the fact that Kamiji – and others on tour – had been close for some time. “I know that all of these players are trying their absolute best to beat me, and now I’ve got to do my absolute best to bounce back. Yet again.”

And bounce back she did, winning the singles on a sun-bathed, and sold-out Court 1 at Wimbledon against compatriot Aniek Van Koot – who had herself defeated Kamiji in the semi-final. It marked a true champion’s return on the sport’s biggest stage and a real juxtaposition between the two events. That was the main difference between the two finalists. Diede does not, will not, lose big games. Big moments. Big points, even. 

It was a result that she could not celebrate for too long, the now 41-time-Grand Slam, and six-time Wimbledon champion having to play her doubles final the next day on Court 3. Again, in the sun on a now bone-dry and wholly different surface – despite the English summer’s best efforts. De Groot and partner, Jiske Griffioen, on that occasion were bettered by Yui Kamiji and South Africa’s 38-year-old Kgothatso Montjane.

She told us when at Roehampton that she doesn’t really like doubles, “it relies too much on the other person.” Despite her 19 Grand Slams and a gold medal saying otherwise.

Her two lots of silverware at the All-England Club concluded a successful grass season for Diede de Groot. Silverware that was expected, fought for, and thoroughly deserved can now rest easy in her ever-expanding cabinet for another year.

“I’ll have a nice week to enjoy before the circus starts again,” she responded to a congratulatory message the morning after. All eyes now turn to The City of Light where Diede the Great is nailed-on to retain her golden crown. Mark my words.