Tennis surprise in New York
“So personable”: German becomes a fan favorite in the USA
Updated on 08/30/2025 – 12:22 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
With the US Open, Jan-Lennard Struff is one of the surprises. His victory in the 2nd round was celebrated.
Jan-Lennard Struff held and looked around with a grin. A whole fan group was waiting for the surprise man of the US Open and asked “Struffi, Struffi” choirs. “It’s awesome what they pull off here,” said the celebrated. Big blonde Germans have had a good reputation in the USA at the latest since Dirk Nowitzki – and now Struff is a New York attraction at once at the age of 35.
Within 3:25 hours, the always friendly Westphalian apparently brought all flushing Meadows on his side. “I am so happy for him. He is such a likeable man,” said Germany’s tennis idol Boris Becker at “Sporteurope.tv” according to Struffs 7: 6 (7: 5), 2: 6, 6: 3, 4: 6, 7: 5 two-day round.
Struff fought that for 3:25 hours, cheered on, always remained positive, his body language was exemplary – and that impressed the New York audience, which was often male, but still equipped with fine antennas. “The mood was particularly awesome in the fifth set, a crazy atmosphere,” said Struff, who, according to his own statement, was also “brutally emotional” after a “brutal struggle”.
Struff is now playing against the American Frances Tiafoe for moving into the round of 16, it would be his third at a Grand Slam to Paris 2019 and 2021. Against Tiafoe, a fan favorite, he should not mostly have the audience on his side. Struff, however, with his experience in good and bad, it will take how it comes.
He is “great grateful” how things are going in New York. Due to the qualification, number 144 in the world, which was number 21 two years ago, had to struggle in the main field. And there he is now among the last 32, as in July in Wimbledon. A epidemic in which Struff left round one and twice in round two in his first ten tournaments, still unexpectedly picks up speed.
“I’m just happy,” said Struff, who also deserves this luck. He never got up in this difficult year, and also against the former Becker protégé Rune, also in this mountain and descent against the current number eleven of the world, he trusted in his strengths: mental rest and a performance-and-volley game that has fallen almost from time. He hit 28 aces against the Danes, scored 35 of remarkable 58 network attacks.