Wimbledon 2018: Diede De Groot aims to repeat success

“I know that a strong mentality is key. I need to stick to my own game and believe in myself. I think this counts for a lot of tennis players.”

Twelve months after winning her maiden wheelchair tennis singles Grand Slam title, Diede de Groot is excited to travel back to London, Great Britain, to try and defend her Wimbledon crown between 12 and 15 July.

While she was the underdog in last year’s competition, the Dutch player realises the situation has changed now. “It was my first time on grass [back then]. I just wanted to enjoy my time there and play some good tennis,” she said.

“This year however, it’s very different. I am the defending champion and number one seed. My goal is still the same though: I want to enjoy my time there and play some good tennis.”

The signs for claiming the title are good. The 21-year-old sealed this year’s Australian Open title in January and became world No.1 in March. Both times she outplayed her biggest rival, Japan’s Yui Kamiji.

The two players have been exciting the wheelchair tennis scene with thrilling games; the same show is expected to continue at Wimbledon.

“Yui [Kamiji] and I are big rivals. We are both training hard and never want to lose. It creates good matches.”

De Groot is also aware that there might be other players who are not on the radar yet, but who could still stand in the way of her second Wimbledon title.

“There have been a lot of new players coming up recently. New rivals mean more variety. The sport will get bigger and bigger hopefully.”

While she keeps an eye on her opponents, the Dutch is convinced that the best strategy is to focus mostly on herself and playing her best tennis.

“For now I am still trying to improve my game. I want to get quicker, get more accurate and work on my strengths. The results will come after.

“I know that a strong mentality is key. I need to stick to my own game and believe in myself. I think this counts for a lot of tennis players.”

De Groot also prefers to concentrate on one tournament at a time. “I am not really thinking of Tokyo 2020 yet. I have a long way to go and 2020 is still far away,” she said.

“New players will rise so who knows how the competition will be in a few years. New goals will come next year when Tokyo comes closer but now Wimbledon is almost here, so preparations for the grass are what count the most.”

Full Wimbledon schedule and results will be available online on the International Tennis Federation’s website.