Interview with Dominik Koepfer: "It was the tournament that made the last three years possible for me"
In an exclusive interview with tennisnet.com , Dominik Koepfer talks about current injury concerns, two big matches in his career so far and explains why the path via college tennis would not harm many players.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Apr 14, 2022, 07:59 am
Mr. Koepfer , you only played four tournaments in the 2022 calendar year. What is the reason for that?
I started getting problems in my upper arm in October last year. I then continued playing, the diagnosis was that I pulled my arm a bit. Then I played Paris with relatively severe pain - then it really didn't work anymore, especially on the serve. Then came the Davis Cup, which wasn't ideal in terms of timing either. I did an MRI after the Davis Cup with the diagnosis: stress fracture in the upper arm. After that I really didn't open for five weeks and didn't do anything at all for two weeks. Then came Australia: I actually served for the first time two days before the tournament. In the first match it was actually okay, but in the second match the pain came back. Then I did another MRI in Australia, again with the same diagnosis, it just takes forever. After that the same thing happened again in Indian Wells and Miami, I had the exact same problem there again. And now it just can't go on like this and it's going to be difficult to play two or three matches in a row with such pain. So now I've had to take a break again so I can hopefully be back by the end of the clay court season.
Is there any treatment for this injury? Or is it time that brings healing?
Unfortunately there isn't that much. It is time that brings healing. Lots of physiotherapy, of course, and everything that goes with it: muscles, tendons, loosening everything, lots of strengthening, otherwise there really isn't any healing method, which is really stupid. I know it's getting better, but it just takes time and patience, which of course is very annoying. Especially now that there are so many tournaments in Europe. But you can't do anything.
Now it just can't go on like this and it's going to be difficult to play two or three matches in a row.
Dominik Koepfer about his current arm injury.
Is there already a planned place of return?
The plan at the moment is for me to play Geneva and Paris, maybe a tournament the week before, either Rome or a Challenger. Depending on when I get back into tennis. I haven't played since the match in Miami. I hope that in ten days I can easily start training again. And then - let's see how it goes - a decision will be made. But Geneva and Paris is actually the goal.
Last year at the French Open there was definitely a highlight for you: the match against Roger Federer. An epic fight, in four sets you just drew the short straw. How did you feel after the match?
Of course it's bitter when you play against Roger, you also want to win. It was probably one of the last chances to beat him I think. He is slowly on his way to retirement. Of course it was a great experience. It was a bit of a shame it wasn't in front of spectators. That was during the night session and there was a curfew in Paris, you weren't allowed to go out after 9:00 p.m. It was definitely a great experience to play against him. At the same time it was also bitter: I think I had my chances. But I probably lost in the end because it's Roger Federer and I showed a bit of nerve - in the crucial moments, in the tiebreaks.
You yourself grew up playing collegiate tennis, which isn't the most common way, especially in Europe. Last year you also told Spox.de that this path is not yet particularly well recognized in Germany. Why do you think this is the case?
I think the school system in Germany is just different. Here in the US, anyone who can play tennis to any degree has a goal of playing collegiate tennis. At least for two, three years or the full time, for four years, and then to get a bachelor's degree. I think in Europe a lot of coaches and a lot of federations tell youngsters too early that they are incredible. Then they play on the Future Tour and - you can see that - there are many who get stuck on the Future Tour for a few years - maybe even forever - and never really make it into the top 100 or the top 150. I think college definitely helped me skip Future level. Of course I played futures, but I managed to get out of those futures relatively quickly, which is of course important - especially financially - to have a bit more freedom and then to be able to play bigger tournaments. I think there are some in Germany who are going to college now, it's becoming more and more common. But I also think that there are still many who would not do any harm to go to college for two or three years. As you can see, Cameron Norrie, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Giron: there are many who made it into the top 100 relatively quickly. And it's not just about tennis, because tour life in general is relatively lonely and if you're 18 or 19-year-old banging around in Kazakhstan or Egypt and then lose the first round of Futures qualification, then of course you'll lose interest in tennis. I also think that the training conditions and the coaches are often not quite as professional because sometimes there is simply not enough money. So I think college is definitely a good option. Except maybe your name is Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, who are incredible at 16, 17.
Do you think college tennis has had a bit of an impact on who you are today, how you act on the court?
In any case. The emotions are still there, of course, and I'm slowly getting a little more control over them. But at the beginning, when I left college, I had problems, I was very negative about myself. I think in college people often push it, also from the coaches, that the teams are just very loud, a lot shouting and supporting their teammates. I missed that a bit at the beginning, which is why I'm a little more emotionally involved - sometimes in both directions. It's gotten a little better now, it's more positive than negative that I'm not so annoyed with myself anymore. But not only tennis, but also the team environment in which we trained there definitely helped me to learn how to push myself in training and get the best out of myself.
For the mental component: was there a collaboration with a psychologist, with a mental coach?
Yes, I've been working with one for two years. I call him weekly, facetime, sometimes he comes by to talk about a few things, to use a few methods - also during matches, during training. Meditate, for example, which is probably what every tennis player in the top 100 does these days. Some things definitely help me and over the last few months and years have led to my tennis getting better relatively quickly.
You mentioned it before, you studied in the US and now you live in Tampa, Florida. During this time, has your view of the word "home" changed a bit over the past few years?
When I entered college, I didn't think I would stay in the US forever. I thought I'd do college and then go back to Europe. But then I decided to try it on the tour. I then got to Challenger level relatively quickly and then the coaches I started working with straight out of college were from the US, so it made sense for me to stay here. My family still lives in the Black Forest, so I would say I have two homes. I don't feel like going home that often anymore, except when I want to see my family, because I've been away for a relatively long time and don't know that many people anymore. But I like it in the USA as well as in Germany and in Europe. Tampa is my home right now, as long as I play tennis it will stay that way, but after that: We'll see.
A game where I'm sure you felt the emotion from the ranks that you might have missed against Roger in Paris was against Daniil Medvedev at the US Open in 2019. How are your memories almost three years apart?
That was of course the tournament where I actually made my breakthrough, that's when I made it into the top 100 for the first time. Now, looking back on round four, I can say that I had a pretty good chance of beating him. Because he was really broken in the middle of the second set, but then he managed to break me back. Of course that's bitter, otherwise I would have made it to the quarterfinals and played against Stan Wawrinka. The US Open, of course, was the tournament that made the last three years possible for me, allowed me to play in the big tournaments and now be in the top 100. That was only my second Grand Slam, before that I played the Wimbledon qualifier. Second main draw and then getting out of qualifying straight into the fourth round: That was of course unbelievable. I only have good memories of New York, the last few years it hasn't been quite like that: once without fans, last year it was again against Medvedvev on the center court. But overall they are definitely good memories and the match was definitely a highlight of my career so far.
From the way into the top 100, it has now taken you into the top 70, where you have made a lasting impression. Your personal best is 50th. When you're fit again, what do you think it will take for you to jump further up the world rankings - 40th, 30th?
I think there has been a lack of consistency over the last two years. I've always played tennis well against the good, against the top 20 players, and mentally I had everything together. Then, against the lower-ranked players, who are then around 80, 100, I always had problems having full focus. But I think I felt pretty good at the beginning of the year, now in Indian Wells, I played pretty well in Miami too. Just lost against Andrey Rublev in Indian Wells, that's where I had my chances. I've had a bit of a fitness problem lately because I couldn't train then. Of course it's very difficult to imitate that in the gym. On the treadmill, doing 400-meter sprints, that's of course something completely different than running side by side on the tennis court. When I'm fit then it's definitely my goal to get back in the top 50. I'm going to lose a few points now, but I think I'm definitely better now than I was three years ago, so I'm not too worried about going back there. Even if it goes through two or three qualifications because the ranking is stuck. The goal was to be in the top 30 by the end of the year, so obviously that's a bit of a setback now with the injury, but – I think – it's definitely realistic when I've got my head together and I'm physically healthy.
Now the goals on the tennis court are definitely the focus, but with your studies you have of course laid a good foundation for your career afterwards. Do you already have a few thoughts or is that not an issue at all for you at the moment?
Not anymore. In the beginning it was, of course, when I was playing Futures, when I was playing Challengers and I didn't know how far it would go up. But now the focus is definitely on tennis and getting well again quickly. I'm 27, still have a few years left if all goes well. I'm not that old, but I'm not that young either, so the focus for the next five or six years will obviously be on tennis. What comes after that will emerge. Of course I don't have a lot of pressure now, I have a degree. Because of the contacts I've made here in the US through college, with whom I'm still in close contact, I don't really worry about that.
Finally, I would like to briefly talk about the Davis Cup. With the participation of Alexander Zverev, you were able to make the final round clear, but of course that didn't reduce the competition in the team. How is that from your point of view?
Of course that's good. Now, with Oskar Otte, Daniel Altmaier, Jan-Lennard Struff, Alexander Zverev - with whom you never really know whether he's playing or not, now in Brazil it turned out that he's playing - of course it's a Goal to win the Davis Cup. I think it would be good for all of us, for us German players, if tennis regained popularity in Germany. If it now takes place in Hamburg, that is of course very good for German tennis and for us. As for the competition: I think it will probably be decided based on the ranking, and I think whoever plays then deserves it. I've been there twice now, two years in a row. Last year in the semifinals it was an unbelievable result. Winning the whole thing would of course be a highlight. But you have to see if Sascha will really play again - he will probably play in Hamburg, that was one of the reasons why it is in Hamburg. Then there is still a final round, I think. But it's definitely a goal and it's probably the best week of the year to play Davis Cup because there's a team atmosphere there, like there was in college. Because tennis is otherwise a bit lonely.
Thank you for the interview!