sports show: Mr. Mies, the French Open is starting again. What does the tournament in Paris mean to you personally?
Andreas Mies: Very much. We’ve won the tournament twice in the past, which is our biggest highlight in our career so far. We surprisingly won in 2019, nobody really expected that, including us. We just landed in the peloton. Then we were even able to defend the title. I am very happy to return to this magical place.
sports show: Last year they were out for around seven months due to a knee injury. Her partner Kevin Krawietz had to look for a replacement. Did you have something like jealousy when you have to watch it from a distance?
Bad: I don’t think either of us are jealous. We also agreed beforehand who could be an alternative for Kevin as long as I can’t play. And he has found a very good partner in Horia Tecau. Both played a great season and qualified for the World Cup. At the end of the year, when I was healthy again, we even played against each other, which was really strange.
sports show: Did you feel uneasy or even afraid that Kevin Krawietz might choose someone else, even though you were healthy again?
Bad: I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it at all. What would Kevin have done if he had won the French Open and maybe Wimbledon with Horia? Would he then have stuck to his decision to continue playing with me? Would he have preferred him after all? But we agreed that beforehand and I always assumed that. But I rate Kevin as a guy who keeps his word and keeps playing with me. And so it was.
sports show: Can you describe what makes your collaboration successful?
Bad: It’s been a few years that we’ve been playing together. For the first time at the 2017 Challenger tournament in Meerbusch, it worked great right away. We won and it was also very good on a human level. We just complement each other extremely well. We always describe ourselves as fire and ice. He is the ice, I am the fire. I try to push him, he calms me down with his relaxed manner. In the meantime he has also become a very good friend.
sports show: So is this double more than a working relationship?
Bad: There are already doubles who have such a business relationship. Who only meet for training or a match and don’t have anything to do with each other anymore. It’s different with us, and I think it’s also important for a very successful doubles team that you understand each other and are friends. You don’t have to be best friends and do everything together. But it helps, precisely because you can help each other in difficult situations and maybe also talk about other things.
sports show: How do you actually find a doubles partner that suits you?
Bad: At this time, 2017, we tried many different partners. We both knew each other from the tournaments and had already played against each other in singles and doubles. And then we said: Let’s try it out for a week. But of course you also look at the ranking, with whom you get into the tournaments. And so we got ourselves from the challengers-Tournaments at the highest ATP level and the Grand Slams worked up.
sports show: What’s the appeal of doubles?
Bad: It’s very spectacular to play doubles. I really like this team spirit. And that you are not on your own. You can celebrate titles together and perhaps digest defeats more easily. A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. You always have someone to train with, travel with. Because it can sometimes get a bit lonely on the tour when you’re on the road alone for weeks.
sports show: In the doubles competitions one can get the impression that there are two types of participants: Those who specialize in it. And those who seem to meet on a whim. Why can these chance communities still be successful?
Bad: That happens all the time. But the well-established team will prevail in the long run. But that also depends on the scoring system with the ,No ad‘ – so crucial point at 40 both without benefit regulation – together. As well as with that Champions tie break (every point up to ten counts; editor’s note) in the third sentence. Then even mixed teams can sometimes win, because it happens so quickly.
sports show: Do good solo players make the difference?
Bad: It’s all very close, often only one or two points decide. Because you’re used to it, you’re trying to gain an advantage. But the good individual players also have such a high quality that they can dominate some double teams with their strokes.
sports show: Are singles players that much better quality than doubles specialists like you?
Bad: I wouldn’t say so. Doubles is almost a different sport. The individual players bring their strengths in the opening of the game in terms of serve and return. They may not be quite as good at net because they don’t practice as much and don’t need it as often as the doubles players. In doubles, too, opening the game is pretty much the most important thing. It’s very fast, short rallies. Serve, return, first volley, a reaction volley. That often makes the difference.
sports show: What are your plans for the tournament in Paris?
Bad: Rafael Nadal demonstrated in singles that more than two titles are possible. We’re in good form at the moment and have a good chance of going far again.
The interview was conducted by Jörg Strohschein.