National tennis trainer Barbara Rittner is very impressed by the Kerber generation.
Ms. Rittner, how happy are you that 2020 is drawing to a close? From a sporting and private perspective.
Just because the year ends doesn’t mean the next one will be better. I assume that the pandemic will also be with us in 2021. Everyone personally, but also sport and of course tennis.
But you can’t get much positive out of the last twelve months, can you?
Even if it sounds weird and egotistical, it was a good year for me professionally. The first lockdown and the tournament break gave us time to hold many very intensive courses with the young players and to work on their fitness, for which otherwise too little time remains in the hectic everyday tournament. Regardless of that, of course, I miss meeting friends and social contacts. It starts to get on your nerves, makes you sad and you sometimes feel alone.
It was noticeable that men’s and women’s tennis dealt with the pandemic very differently. There were two men’s tournaments in succession in Cologne, but no women’s event.
That was very unfortunate. For the women, the season after the French Open was as good as over. In Cologne, the organizer had tried to get the women on board. I was the tournament director there. We opened the door wide, but the WTA was too slow and cumbersome that in the end we had to decide on two men’s ATP tournaments one after the other. Especially sad for the German players.
Another proof that professional tennis must be organized under one roof? As requested by Roger Federer.
I’m with Roger. From my point of view, it would make sense if the ATP, WTA, ITF and the Grand Slams sit under one roof. At the moment everyone is cooking their own soup. Large joint events by men and women would be the right approach. Then also a little less tournaments. However, I was astonished that the women as a whole did not complain louder about their corona situation and the few tournaments.
Full of praise: national coach Barbara Rittner.
© imago/Moana Bauer
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Alexander Zverev has provided sporting highlights for men in 2020. The women lack top results, for which Angelique Kerber was otherwise a safe bet.
You forget that Angie got really badly injured at the end of 2019. Nevertheless, she has made herself fit for Australia and has gone beyond her borders there. Even without Corona, it would have been out for several months afterwards. But I have to honestly say that we shouldn’t demand anything more from the Kerber generation. The generation has delivered over the years. These players have achieved so much, sacrificed so much for tennis – everything that’s still to come is an encore, the icing on the cake for outstanding careers.
Is Kerber still a contender for big titles?
Mentally definitely. Angie is still on fire. Otherwise she wouldn’t go on playing. I just worry about the body. This also applies to Andrea Petkovic. Both have used their bodies so hard over the years that they have reached a physical limit in their early 30s. However, if Angie finds her way back to her best physical condition, then you can count on her for the big wins.
Julia Görges has resigned. At 32, just like you. Farewell too soon?
We cannot judge that from the outside. However, I do believe that Jule might have continued to play without Corona. She needs joy and fun to be able to achieve her top performance. This has been missing more and more due to Corona and the ghost tournaments in isolation. In the lockdown she also got to know how nice it can be to be at home. She just learned to appreciate normal life. Jule gives me the impression that she is at peace with herself and her decision.
There is a performance gap behind this generation. Do we have to get used to years without German women at the top of the world rankings?
At the moment we would probably go to the Fed Cup with Kerber, Petkovic, Friedsam, Siegemund. I’m not afraid of that. This is world class. Behind them we have a few good talents, they are now 18 or 19. I started in 2005 when we had one player in the top 50 and three in the top 100. As a team manager, I sometimes left after the first round of a Grand Slam . That could happen again in the transition. But that should only be a snapshot and not a permanent state.
Are the young players lacking the willingness to subordinate everything to success?
I would like the next generation to leave their comfort zone more often. It is badly said, a spoiled – to put it nicely, a very sheltered generation. If I compare Kerber, Petkovic and Co. with the younger players, then some have a similar level of talent, but the Kerber generation was tougher. Their successes were the result of discipline and perseverance. The young players can learn a lot here.
Interview: Daniel Müksch
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