Munich (AP) – Alexander Zverev was scheduled for the final phase of the Munich tennis tournament. The fact that instead of the Olympic champion Oscar Otte played as the best German in the quarterfinals was surprising. Outliers of the German B squad upwards are rather rare.
Normally Zverev has to deliver – otherwise it will be dark about black, red and gold. Or as ex-Wimbledon champion Michael Stich put it: “After that, not much happens”. The demands on the German Tennis Association (DTB) for more support for young players are getting louder. The association reacts.
Kohlschreiber: “We don’t have that density anymore”
In addition to Zverev, third in the world rankings, four other German men are currently among the top 100. But Otte (62), Dominik Koepfer (66), Daniel Altmaier (67) and Jan-Lennard Struff (69) usually have to be spectators early in the tournament switch. “We don’t have that density anymore,” said veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, who was eliminated in Munich in the first round, describing the status quo.
And with the ladies? The great times of ex-number 1 Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic seem to be over. Laura Siegemund is bobbing around in smaller tournaments after her injury break. All three are already 34 years old. It feels like a whole tennis generation is saying goodbye – and nobody is moving up. “With the largest tennis association in the world, you should assume that we have eight or ten players in the top 100,” said Stich.
The DTB therefore wants to optimize its funding concept. “Our aim must be to position ourselves better in the future, so that we have a wider range of top 50 players. At the moment we are not in a good position,” said DTB President Dietloff von Arnim. Above all, the support of young talents is not optimal.
Rücker should promote youth development
For example, the new DTB sports director and former CEO of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Veronika Rücker, is to promote youth development. The 51-year-old will take up her new position on July 1. Above all, the compatibility of tennis training and school must be optimized. “Other countries are a whole step ahead of us in that they already offer better digital school formats for young players,” explained von Arnim.
But often there is not only a lack of adequate funding. The right attitude sometimes decides on the success on the way to the top of the world. “Sometimes I miss this fight. I’ll definitely bring that with me,” said Kohlschreiber and downright offered his help: “When I’m working, I’d like to pass on my philosophy and my drive.”
An offer that the DTB gladly accepts. “We will approach him soon. We will be able to fall back on his expertise,” said von Armin and shared Kohlschreiber’s assessment. “This approach is correct. There is a lot of talent, but in the end it’s the hard workers who succeed on the tour.”