( 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 . The Russian is expected to play in the Australian Open on Sunday and will be looking for another win against world number one Serena Williams who beat her at Wimbledon last month. Sharapova has n't played since August because of a recurring shoulder injury .