When Jule Niemeier fought bravely and unsuccessfully against her first round elimination at the Australian Open in a duel with world number one Iga Swiatek on Monday, Paul Zimmer was there the whole time. He circled the square on the aisle between the upper and lower tiers of the Rod Laver Arena. He always had two cameras within reach. Zimmer is 64 years old and speaks five languages: in addition to German and English, French, Italian and Russian. He also understands Romanian quite well.
But his most important language is the power of his images. Paul Zimmer is a photographer legend in the tennis scene.
This year he is at the Australian Open for the 40th (!) time. He doesn’t think about retirement: “I’ll keep going as long as my feet will carry me. As long as it makes you happy.” And he still enjoys it immensely.
Photographer legend Paul Zimmer is at the Australian Open for the 40th time.
The epic duels of Björn Borg and John McEnroe. The great victories of Steffi Graf and Boris Becker. Roger Federer’s transformation from an irascible talent to a model tennis icon. Room was always there. Very close. He already knew and photographed Steffi Graf and Boris Becker when they were still winning their first tournaments as children and teenagers.
On the plane with Boris Becker
Here in Australia, he photographed Graf as she swam with dolphins. He also taught her photography and – as an art lover – he advised Graf on the acquisition of Australian paintings. He played golf with Boris Becker in Melbourne and once drove him from Adelaide to a tournament in Melbourne. When Becker became number one in the world with a win in Melbourne, Zimmer sat on the plane with Becker afterwards as the pilot expressed his appreciation for this achievement over the for Aborigines sacred sandstone monolith Uluru, which at that time still bore its colonial English name Ayers Rock.
Zimmer actually wanted to be a doctor, having studied medicine for two years in Palma, Italy, and three years in Ulm. Then he suffered a fractured skull. Years of headaches followed. The result was a lack of concentration. That was the only reason why he broke off his medical studies with a heavy heart and turned his hobby of photography into a profession and vocation. “If it hadn’t been for the fractured skull, I would never have become a tennis photographer,” he says. We at tennis MAGAZIN are also very happy to use Paul Zimmer’s pictures. Because they convey the emotions that make tennis so special.
He started photography at the age of 14. Later he smuggled himself into tournaments to be able to take pictures there. With perseverance, talent and empathy, he became one of the greats of his guild.
40 times Australia. 40 Australian Opens. Room always at ball height. And no end in sight.
