Jon Wertheim writes on SI:
I draw two conclusions: Navratilova doesn’t select her partners haphazardly. She picks talented, young players who complement her skills. (Note too, that both Kuznetsova circa ’03 and Groenefeld circa ’05 are bright prospects, but are unlikely to go deep in the singles draws of Majors, and thus default a doubles match.) The other conclusion is that playing alongside one of the all-time greats has a healthy effect on the game of an up-and-coming star.
Despite the age difference, Navratilova seems to cultivate strong relationships with her doubles partners and finds a nice balance between dispensing pointers and helping her partners without becoming a surrogate coach. Check out this transcript for an example of her off-court nurturing of Groenefeld.
If I were a talented teenager on the WTA Tour, I would be begging “Grandma” to play doubles with me.
Hmmmm… after breaking up with her long-time lover, aging lesbian finds new inspiration in “off-court nurturing” of teenage girls playing tennis…. “Doubles” is that what they’re calling it now, Queer Party Friends?
Perhaps I am too skeptical, but this tends to remind me of grown men who can’t find anything better to do with their time than go camping with young boys.