( CNN ) -- There is a new man in Maria Sharapova 's life . No , the Russian has n't split up with tennis playing boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov . Instead she has hired Sven Groeneveld as her new coach . Sharapova has been without a coach since dumping former No . 1 Jimmy Connors in August -- they lasted one match together . Only a month earlier the four-time grand slam champion ended her long partnership with Thomas Hogstedt . In announcing her association with Groeneveld -- who has worked with Ana Ivanovic , Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki -- Sharapova also revealed she returned to practice after a worrying shoulder injury that has kept the 25-year-old off the tour since the summer . `` I 'm happy to announce my official partnership with Sven Groeneveld , '' Sharapova told her website . `` We 've been working together since I got back on the court and after seeing him on the opposing side for so many years , I 'm excited to have him become a part of my team . `` It has been a very seamless transition and I have had a lot of fun with the hard work we have put in so far . Looking forward to the year ahead . '' The tennis season just passed was a tale of two halves for Sharapova . She won 36 of her initial 41 matches in 2013 and reached another French Open final , losing to Serena Williams . But Sharapova hurt her hip in a second-round defeat to qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito at Wimbledon and lost to highly touted American Sloane Stephens in Cincinnati with Connors in the stands . It proved to be her final encounter of the campaign , with the shoulder problems resurfacing . The current No . 4 underwent right shoulder surgery five years ago and there were fears her career might be over .
Maria Sharapova names Sven Groeneveld as her new tennis coach . Sharapova has been without a coach since a brief spell with Jimmy Connors . Groeneveld has worked with the likes of Ana Ivanovic , Caroline Wozniacki and Andy Murray . Sharapova has n't played since August because of a recurring shoulder injury .