#0141 natalie proese

Natalie Proese (Natalie Pröse) – Overview

Natalie Pröse, internationally listed as Natalie Proese, is a German tennis player born on 27 September 1990 in Offenbach am Main. She played primarily on the ITF Women's Circuit and in German national league and tournament competition. A right-handed player with a two-handed backhand, she reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 726 on 14 September 2015 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 737 at the end of 2018. She never won an ITF or WTA title, but became particularly successful at regional and German national level, winning seven Hessian championships between 2014 and 2018 and the German Women's 30 championship in 2020.

Personal Background

Pröse was born and grew up in Offenbach, Germany. She began playing tennis at the age of seven and developed primarily within the Hessian tennis system. At 1.76 m (5 ft 8 in), she possessed good physical dimensions for an attacking all-court game.

Her long-time coach was Gerry Blum, who began working with her in 2007 and remained an important figure throughout her competitive career.

Playing Style

Pröse plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand. According to her ITF profile, her preferred surfaces are carpet and grass, an unusual combination in modern women's tennis.

Although much of her domestic competition took place on clay, faster surfaces suited her attacking instincts. Later accounts of her matches also describe her willingness to move forward and finish points at the net.

Professional Beginnings

Pröse played her first professional ITF tournament in Dubrovnik in October 2007.

Her professional development was gradual. She competed mostly at the lower levels of the ITF circuit while simultaneously maintaining an extensive schedule in German national and club competition.

First WTA Appearance – Prague 2009

Pröse received a wildcard into qualifying for the Prague Open in July 2009, her first appearance at a WTA Tour tournament.

She faced Slovak player Lenka Wienerová in the opening qualifying round and lost 6–1, 6–0.

German Bundesliga

German league tennis became an important component of Pröse's career. In 2010 she played in the 2. Tennis-Bundesliga for Ratinger TC Grün-Weiß.

She later represented several Hessian clubs and joined SC Frankfurt 1880, playing for the club in the Regionalliga and 2. Bundesliga environment.

First ITF Final – 2011

Pröse reached the first professional final of her career in doubles at the $10,000 ITF tournament in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy, in 2011.

Partnering fellow German Mirjam Zeller, she reached the championship match before losing to Yuka Higuchi and Hirono Watanabe 6–1, 6–2.

Singles Development

Pröse's singles ranking developed slowly. She remained outside the world's Top 800 for most of her international career and combined ITF tournaments with German national events and club competition.

Her ranking nevertheless improved significantly between 2013 and 2015.

2013 Season

Pröse finished 2013 ranked world No. 863 in singles.

Her increasing activity on the ITF circuit laid the foundation for the strongest international phase of her career over the following three seasons.

Hessian Indoor Champion – 2014

Pröse won the Hessian women's indoor championship for the first time in 2014.

This began an exceptional period of dominance in regional championship competition.

2014 Ranking

Pröse reached a season-high singles ranking of approximately No. 838 in 2014 and finished the year at No. 979.

Her international ranking remained modest, but domestically she was becoming one of Hessen's strongest female players.

2015 – Career-Best International Season

The 2015 season produced Pröse's highest WTA singles ranking.

She entered the year around world No. 875 and was simultaneously ranked among the leading women in Hessen and approximately the Top 50 of the German national rankings.

Career Goal – Top 500

During early 2015 Pröse publicly identified reaching the world's Top 500 as an important professional objective.

At the time she was combining extensive international tournament travel with national competition while attempting to move beyond the lower levels of the ITF circuit.

Career-High Singles Ranking

Pröse reached her career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 726 on 14 September 2015.

She finished the season at No. 768, her strongest year-end ranking.

Hessian Champion – 2015

Pröse won the Hessian outdoor women's championship in 2015.

It was the first of three outdoor Hessian titles she would collect during her peak domestic years.

Hessian Indoor Champion – 2015

She also successfully won the Hessian indoor championship in 2015.

By combining the indoor and outdoor titles, Pröse established herself as the dominant women's player in the region.

Hessian Indoor Champion – 2016

Pröse retained the Hessian indoor championship in 2016.

She had now won the indoor title for three consecutive years from 2014 through 2016.

2016 International Ranking

Pröse reached a season-high WTA ranking of No. 759 in 2016 and finished the season around No. 930.

She therefore remained close to her career-best level but was unable to make the substantial ranking jump required for regular higher-level ITF or WTA competition.

WTA Biel – 2017

Pröse received another opportunity at WTA level in April 2017 when she was awarded a wildcard into qualifying for the Ladies Open Biel in Switzerland.

She faced Dutch player Richèl Hogenkamp, then an established Top-100-level professional.

Close Match against Richèl Hogenkamp

Pröse produced one of the strongest WTA-level performances of her career against Hogenkamp.

She won the first set before narrowly losing 3–6, 6–2, 7–5. Although she did not advance, taking an established WTA player to a close deciding set was a notable performance given the large ranking difference.

Hessian Champion – 2017

Pröse won another Hessian outdoor women's championship in 2017.

It was her second outdoor title following her 2015 victory.

2017 Ranking

Pröse reached a season-high WTA singles ranking of approximately No. 904 during 2017 and finished at No. 1154.

Her international ranking was declining even while her results in German domestic competition remained very strong.

Move to SC Frankfurt 1880

Pröse joined SC Frankfurt 1880 for the 2018 season.

She became an important member of the club's women's team in the Regionalliga and subsequently competed with Frankfurt in the 2. Bundesliga.

Strong Regionalliga Performance

One of her most notable league victories came against Russian Victoria Kamenskaya, who was ranked approximately world No. 182 at the time.

Pröse recovered from losing the opening set 1–6 to win 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 in the match tiebreak, demonstrating that her domestic playing level could significantly exceed what her WTA ranking suggested.

Hessian Indoor Champion – 2018

Pröse returned to the top of the Hessian indoor championships in 2018.

She defeated highly regarded 14-year-old prospect Mara Guth in a three-set final.

Fourth Indoor Championship

The 2018 victory was Pröse's fourth Hessian indoor women's title:

2014
2015
2016
2018

Hessian Outdoor Champion – 2018

Pröse also successfully defended her status as Hessen's leading women's player at the 2018 outdoor championships in Bad Homburg.

She defeated Jennifer Rink 6–3, 6–0 in the final.

Seven Hessian Championships

By the end of 2018 Pröse had won seven senior Hessian women's championships within five seasons:

Outdoor champion – 2015, 2017, 2018
Indoor champion – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018

This regional record is one of the most significant achievements of her tennis career.

Career-High Doubles Ranking

Pröse reached her career-high doubles ranking of world No. 737 on 31 December 2018.

Unlike in singles, her highest doubles ranking therefore came relatively late in her international career.

2018 Singles Ranking

Pröse reached a season-high singles ranking of approximately No. 846 in 2018 before finishing the year at No. 1067.

She continued to play ITF tournaments but increasingly derived her strongest results from German competition.

2019 Season

Pröse began 2019 ranked approximately world No. 847 and remained in the 800s during the opening months.

Her final WTA ranking was around No. 872 in late April, after which she ceased appearing regularly in the conventional WTA ranking system.

Mainz Open Final – 2019

Pröse reached the women's final of the SiNN Mainz Open in 2019 while representing SC Frankfurt 1880.

She finished runner-up to Lea Gasparovic.

Serious Knee Injury

Pröse suffered a significant knee injury around 2019 involving a torn medial collateral ligament and a partial anterior cruciate ligament injury.

She elected not to undergo surgery and instead pursued an extensive rehabilitation program.

Return after Knee Injury

Pröse successfully returned to competitive tennis following rehabilitation.

Although the injury effectively ended any remaining attempt to climb significantly higher in the international rankings, she continued competing successfully in German league and national age-group tennis.

VfL Sindelfingen – 2020

During the 2020 summer season Pröse played for VfL Sindelfingen.

She was highly successful in singles and contributed substantially to the team's promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.

German Women's 30 Championship – 2020

Pröse achieved one of the biggest titles of her career at the 2020 German national championships for younger seniors in Worms.

Competing in the Women's 30 category for the first time, she entered as the No. 1 seed and advanced to the final against Lisa Rauch.

Dramatic German Championship Final

The final lasted almost four hours in difficult summer conditions.

Pröse experienced pain in the same knee that had been seriously injured the previous year and required treatment during the match.

German Champion – 2020

Despite losing the first set, Pröse defeated Lisa Rauch 6–7, 6–2, 6–1 to become German Women's 30 champion.

She adapted tactically after the knee problem, playing more aggressively and moving toward the net more frequently in order to shorten rallies.

First German National Title

The 2020 Women's 30 championship was Pröse's first German national title.

It followed her seven Hessian championships and represented the most important title of her post-ITF competitive career.

International Career Record

The WTA records Pröse with 99 victories and 168 defeats in its career statistics, while other databases using somewhat different inclusion criteria list approximately 100–113 victories.

The difference reflects variations in which lower-level ITF and qualifying matches are counted. The official WTA figure is 99–168.

ITF Record

The current ITF profile contains a more limited subset of her later professional results and therefore shows a much smaller win-loss total than the WTA career database.

For a complete career overview, the WTA's 99–168 record is the more representative figure.

Singles Titles

Pröse did not win a WTA or ITF professional singles title.

Her principal championships came instead in German national and regional tournaments.

Doubles Career

Pröse's doubles career was comparatively limited. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 737 and recorded 16 victories against 40 defeats in commonly cited professional records.

She did not win an ITF or WTA doubles title.

ITF Doubles Final – 2011

Her best international doubles result was the final at the $10,000 Gardone Val Trompia tournament in 2011 with Mirjam Zeller.

The pair finished runner-up to Yuka Higuchi and Hirono Watanabe.

Grand Slam Record

Pröse never competed in a Grand Slam singles main draw.

Her ranking also never reached the level required for regular Grand Slam qualifying participation.

WTA Tour Record

Her most notable WTA opportunities came through qualifying wildcards:

Prague Open – 2009 qualifying
Ladies Open Biel – 2017 qualifying

She did not qualify for a WTA Tour singles main draw.

ITF Women's Circuit

Pröse spent the international portion of her career primarily at lower-level ITF tournaments.

Her schedule included events in Germany and throughout Europe as well as tournaments farther abroad, but she was unable to accumulate the results needed to establish herself inside the Top 500.

German Club Tennis

Club and league tennis played a substantially greater role in Pröse's career than it does for many internationally established WTA professionals.

Her teams included Ratinger TC Grün-Weiß, TGS Bieber Offenbach, SC Frankfurt 1880 and VfL Sindelfingen.

Ratinger TC Grün-Weiß

Pröse competed for Ratinger TC Grün-Weiß in the 2. Tennis-Bundesliga in 2010.

This gave her experience in one of Europe's strongest national club competitions while she was still developing her international career.

TGS Bieber Offenbach

Pröse also represented TGS Bieber in her native Offenbach.

Her strong connection with the Offenbach and Hessian tennis community remained a constant feature of her career.

SC Frankfurt 1880

From 2018 Pröse represented SC Frankfurt 1880, initially in the Regionalliga and subsequently in the 2. Bundesliga environment.

Her performances included victories against opponents with substantially higher WTA rankings.

VfL Sindelfingen

Pröse later represented VfL Sindelfingen and helped its women's team achieve promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 2020.

Her successful league season coincided with her German Women's 30 championship.

Preferred Surfaces

The ITF lists carpet and grass as Pröse's preferred surfaces.

These faster courts reward compact preparation, attacking play and the ability to finish points quickly. Nevertheless, many of her most important German championship results were achieved on clay.

Coach Gerry Blum

German professional coach Gerry Blum worked with Pröse from 2007 onward.

Blum is an A-level coach with the Global Professional Tennis Coach Association and has worked with ATP, WTA, ITF and international junior players.

Career Prize Money

The WTA records Pröse's official career prize money at US$25,195.

The relatively modest figure reflects the fact that her international career was spent almost entirely at lower-level ITF tournaments, while German league and national competition formed a major part of her playing career.

Career-High Rankings

Singles – No. 726, 14 September 2015
Doubles – No. 737, 31 December 2018

Year-End Singles Rankings

2009 – No. 1099
2013 – No. 863
2014 – No. 979
2015 – No. 768
2016 – approximately No. 929–936
2017 – No. 1154
2018 – No. 1067

German Championship Record

Pröse's strongest title record was achieved outside the international tour:

Hessian outdoor women's champion – 2015, 2017, 2018
Hessian indoor women's champion – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
German Women's 30 champion – 2020

Current Status

Pröse is listed as inactive by the WTA and has no current WTA singles or doubles ranking in 2026.

Her international professional career is effectively over, although she continued competing successfully in German club and age-group tennis after leaving the regular ITF circuit.

Career Highlights

Full name: Natalie Pröse / Natalie Proese
Born: 27 September 1990, Offenbach am Main, Germany
Nationality: German
Height: 1.76 m (5 ft 8 in)
Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
Started tennis: Age 7
Preferred surfaces: Carpet and grass
Long-time coach: Gerry Blum
First professional tournament: Dubrovnik, October 2007
Career-high singles ranking: No. 726 (14 September 2015)
Career-high doubles ranking: No. 737 (31 December 2018)
WTA singles titles: 0
ITF singles titles: 0
WTA doubles titles: 0
ITF doubles titles: 0
Best ITF doubles result: Final, Gardone Val Trompia 2011
WTA career singles record: 99–168
Career prize money: US$25,195
Grand Slam main draws: 0
WTA qualifying appearances: Prague 2009, Biel 2017
Hessian outdoor champion: 2015, 2017, 2018
Hessian indoor champion: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
German Women's 30 champion: 2020
Current WTA ranking: Unranked
Current status: Inactive

Career Trajectory

Pröse's career differed considerably from that of a conventional WTA professional. She began international competition in 2007 and spent more than a decade moving between lower-level ITF tournaments, German ranking events and national league tennis. Her first WTA opportunity came in Prague qualifying in 2009, while her international ranking improved gradually rather than dramatically.

Her strongest international period came from 2014 to 2016. She reached world No. 726 in September 2015 and finished that year at No. 768. Although her stated ambition was to enter the Top 500, she never quite made the transition from lower-level ITF competition to regular WTA tournaments.

At the same time, Pröse became exceptionally successful within Hessen. Between 2014 and 2018 she collected seven regional senior championships, establishing herself as one of the dominant Hessian women's players of the period. Her level was sometimes significantly stronger than her international ranking suggested, illustrated by victories over opponents such as then-world No. 182 Victoria Kamenskaya and a close three-set qualifying match against Richèl Hogenkamp.

A serious knee injury around 2019 interrupted her career, but rehabilitation allowed her to return successfully. In 2020 she helped VfL Sindelfingen earn promotion and then won the German Women's 30 championship in a nearly four-hour final despite renewed knee pain.

Assessment

Natalie Pröse did not reach the international level suggested by the most successful German WTA professionals: she never entered the Top 500, won an ITF title or played a Grand Slam. Judged solely by WTA ranking, her career therefore appears relatively modest.

Her broader competitive record gives a more complete picture. She remained involved in professional tennis for many years, reached No. 726 in the world, played WTA qualifying events and competed successfully in the German Bundesliga system. At regional level she was considerably more accomplished, winning seven Hessian senior championships within five years.

Her 2020 German Women's 30 championship provides a fitting late-career highlight. Coming after a serious knee injury and years of international and league competition, it demonstrated the persistence that characterized her playing career. Pröse is therefore best understood as a strong German national-level player who tested herself extensively on the international professional circuit while achieving her greatest success in domestic championship and team tennis.

all texts by ChatGPT