Alexander Zverev's gold coup: new tennis boom in Germany?
Alexander Zverev triggered a wave of enthusiasm in Germany with his gold run in Tokyo. This should now also bring more young people and children to tennis.
by SID / tennisnet
last edit: Aug 16, 2021, 09:42 am
Olympic champion Alexander Zverev hopes that his gold coup in Tokyo will generate increased interest among young tennis players in Germany. "Maybe a few more children will actually start playing tennis again because of that, that would be great," said Zverev in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.
The congratulations that reached him after his return from the Summer Olympics overwhelmed the German number one. "Children came to the airport just to greet me. It's an amazing feeling," said the 24-year-old, who is preparing for the US Open (August 30th to September 12th) at the ATP Masters in Cincinnati.
Zverev for better government funding
Zverev also spoke out in favor of "a better support system" for German athletes: "The country is rich, could afford it. You should see who needs the money. Swimmers, judoka, gymnasts, track and field athletes and many others earn far too little, "said Zverev. Tennis players or golf professionals do not need any Olympic bonuses, he added: "These sums can be better given to other sports."
In any case, the response to the Olympic victory of the German number one shows that this could very well trigger a new German tennis boom. Boris Becker, Michael Stich and Steffi Graf, who brought a whole generation to tennis in the 1980s and 90s, were the ones who recently achieved this. With Zverev there would now be a new role model for the young guard.
Green numbers for the Bavarian Tennis Association
The President of the Bavarian Tennis Association, Helmut Schmidtbauer, sees such a role model as a key driver for young athletes: "I think young people are looking for role models and leading figures. You can tell that with us: the children cheer at every point,"says Schmidtbauer opposite the Bavarian radio.
The successes of Zverev seem to be showing the first effects: For the first time in 25 years, increasing membership numbers can be observed in Bavaria, as the president explained: "We have 2.1 percent more members in Bavaria, so we have over 300,000 members. And if Sascha Zverev's gold medal gives us a boost, then we are already very well positioned. "
Zverev cancels the Davis Cup
There is a small damper after the Olympic victory for Germany but, as Zverev announced a few days ago, the 24-year-old does not want to start at the Davis Cup this year. As a criticism of the mode, emphasized the German. Should the old game mode return, Zverev would also start again for Germany.
A decision that was not entirely expected for Schmidtbauer, as he explained: "We were surprised ourselves because we discussed one or the other differently with him. But in the end we have to accept that. But we will also talk to him again whether there is a possibility that he will also pick up the bat in Innsbruck. "
Because a good performance at the Davis Cup - especially in the prestigious international matches against neighboring Austria and Serbia in the group - could additionally fuel the tennis hype surrounding Alexander Zverev.