French Open 2020: With calm and patience - "Hobby angler" Daniel Altmaier is back in the mix
Daniel Altmaier was considered a great German tennis hope, but was injured for a long time. At the French Open he has now reached the second round from qualifying, where he meets Jan-Lennard Struff.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Sep 30, 2020, 08:09 am
It was late on Monday evening when a bloodcurdling scream echoed over 11th place in the Roland Garros tournament facility. Daniel Altmaier was the man whose tension unmistakably dissolved at that moment, the "joy and relief" were just indescribable, said the 22-year-old from Lower Rhine later.
The 7: 6 (7: 1), 6: 4, 6: 4 victory over the 39-year-old Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez was also a milestone in Altmaier's difficult career, it was after the first qualification for a Grand Slam Tournament now also the debut success in the main field on the big tennis stage. "Courageous and courageous" was Altmaier, praised Boris Becker from the Munich Eurosport studio, "that looked very good." In round two, the migrant tennis worker can now face the domestic German comparison with newcomer Jan-Lennard Struff (Warstein) .
Altmaier 2018: "Just get well"
Altmaier has so far been under the radar of public attention in his German homeland, the big headlines were written by colleagues such as top man Alexander Zverev, the next opponent Struff or the difficult talent Rudi Molleker. Among industry experts, however, the Kempener has long been considered a man with perspective, an ambitious, ambitious, but also stable, self-balanced player. Almost three years ago, Altmaier's name appeared in a surprising context, when the international TV network Sky Sport awarded him an unusual scholarship to finance his future career. Sky then accompanied the teenager on his further path, but this path was completely different, namely much more difficult than everyone involved had imagined.
In 2020 Altmaier wanted to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and be among the top 100 in the world rankings, as he had set as his goal in 2017. But then 2018 turned into a horror year for the aspiring junior, he was injured time and time again, there were problems with the abdominal muscles, the shoulder was bruised. Altmaier suddenly had only one plan, one project: Don't collect world ranking points, move up to the top, "just get well." The comeback mission was long, tough, challenging, and Altmaier had to deal with setbacks again and again. Most recently with the setback of the Corona crisis, which abruptly stopped his mission.
"Then at some point you will be successful"
Two qualities that Altmaier “absolutely” needs for his beloved hobby of fishing helped him back on the long march: calm and patience. He has "never lost" faith in himself, in his powers and abilities, says Altmaier: "It's very simple: If you do your job right, with will, passion and conviction, you will be successful at some point."
Could the French Open 2020 mark the breakthrough for Altmaier? In any case, he will move closer to the top 100 in the world rankings (currently: 186), to his old goal. After all, he has already won four games in cold, wet, autumnal Paris, three difficult qualifying games and now the duel against old master Lopez. Perhaps the pandemic was also good, says Altmaier, in any case he used the game break at home on the Lower Rhine with coach Patrice Hopfe to "get really really fit": "Physically, I almost never feel."
In 2019 and also in the short year 2020 Altmaier was almost only on the smaller scene locations, in future or challenger competitions. There he also successfully got the necessary match toughness against fierce competitors who, like him, squint at the advance into the big tennis business. Altmaier's time in the traveling circus of top people could only come now, at 22 he has the future ahead of him. But in the here and now he wants to continue and extend his Paris Grand Slam trip against compatriot Struff.
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