Alexandra Vecic from the Porsche Talent Team: "Maria Sharapova really impressed me!"
Alexandra Vecic , 18, is one of the most hopeful young German players. She is a member of the Porsche Talent Team and surprisingly reached the semifinals at the Australian Open junior tournament in January. Vecic is currently going to a sports high school in Weinheim and will graduate from high school in May - then she wants to attack the women.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Apr 22, 2020, 01:40 pm
Ms. Vecic, what do you associate with the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix ?
I was there to watch every year as a little girl, with my dad when I was five. That was always a highlight! Later I played an invitation tournament for the best young players during the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. I won it twice, the first time surprisingly, the second time as a favorite. At the time, the preliminary rounds were played in Stuttgart-Stammheim, the finals in first place at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix - that was of course cool. So I have a big connection to the tournament.
Is there a player whose performance you particularly remember?
Maria Sharapova! For me it is the symbol for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She is also my favorite player - or it was, unfortunately she stopped. I've been following Sharapova since I was at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the first time. And Ana Ivanovic. When I saw the two, the day was perfect (laughs) .
What made you so excited about Sharapova ?
Above all, their professionalism. When I won the junior tournament at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the first time, at the age of twelve, it was incredible to be able to witness a professional training session for the first time. But at Sharapova, the warm-up alone took 45 minutes! With what intensity she trained, what concentration she brought with her, and that with every stroke. That was not "Come on, let's train something" ... It really impressed me.
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Sharapova also played her matches exactly like this: fully focused and without great emotions.
Yes - although that's not my thing. I am very emotional on the pitch.
Do you also have a bat or ball flying in the corner?
(laughs) That can happen. Sharapova pushed himself very little on the court, showed little emotion. I keep showing them - positive as well as negative. I need it, I have to let off steam. Also for adrenaline, to be 100 percent in the game.
In terms of ambition and professionalism, you are inferior to Sharapova, as you can hear.
That's right, that's in my character. I have ambitious goals - I want to win Grand Slam tournaments, I want to be number 1. That may sound very ambitious, but these are the big goals of almost all young players who want to become a professional and do a lot for it. Of course, we don't know whether it will work out in the end.
Do you look at your matches afterwards - or which of other players?
I mainly look at my own matches and analyze what I did wrong, what could have gone better. Most recently from the Australian Open. I also like to compare that with older matches to see what has improved or where I have made too little progress. My dad is also my trainer, we usually do that together.
Recently it was difficult to exercise due to the corona pandemic. How did you spend your tennis-free time?
I've done a lot of fitness in the past few weeks, a few shadow swings, things like that. This is of course quite a long way from normal tennis games. But now there are a few special regulations, especially for the national squad players, we can get back on the pitch in Stuttgart-Stammheim. With special restrictions and in smaller amounts, but at least you can hit a few balls again. I'm really happy about that.
Thank you for the interview and all the best!