Jan Lennard Struff in the DTB interview: "The sport is so fast-moving"
Jan-Lennard Struff will serve as number one at the ATP Challenger tournament in Bordeaux this week. Before that, the Warsteiner gave a detailed interview to the German Tennis Association.
by p.m
last edit:
May 17, 2023, 10:09 am
Jan, after the final in Madrid you stayed at home with your family for a few days and were able to distance yourself. Do you still have to think about the final often?
I took two days off completely. It was very nice to be home with my family again after a long time. But even then there is little time to rest or take a breather. With my two kids there is always something to do. That's why I rarely got around to thinking a lot about the finale. But it's fine anyway. The sport is so fast-moving and it's already time to get back on the pitch and train for the next challenges. Nevertheless, there are always these individual moments in which the pictures from Madrid come up. We reinforced that as a team and looked at a few highlights. I want to take these positive emotions with me into the next few weeks.
One action that was remembered was when you sent your son Henri a special message over the camerasafter beating Tsitsipas . Did he actually see her?
Yes, he sent me a voice message together with my girlfriend the very next day. His father and the minions greet him from the TV. I think he was very happy about that.
How were the reactions to your success?
It was definitely a very special tournament for me. The first time in a Masters final and that as a lucky loser - that's crazy. I would have liked to have taken the last step and won the tournament. I threw everything in, but unfortunately it wasn't enough in the end. I also noticed from the reactions and the many messages that reached me that many more people than usual followed my path. I honestly haven't been able to reply to everyone who has written to me. There was just too much news for that. Sorry for that, but thanks to everyone who thought of me. I've been very happy about it.
In particular, your offensive game has caused enthusiasm. Would you say that this was new in this consequence?
I don't think my style of play in Madrid was any different than usual. I always try to stay aggressive. It was more the local conditions, the fast surface and the good jump that really suited my offensive game.
You are the first player who had to play six three-set matches in a row in an ATP tournament. Were you aware of that and how did it feel for you?
I also read it on social media after the final and couldn't really believe it never happened before. Of course, getting into the final of a Masters tournament as a lucky loser seems understandable that it doesn't happen that often. But I didn't think six three-set matches in a row was unique. I didn't really feel it physically either, but still felt pretty fit in the final. I just found it mentally exhausting. I've never played nine matches in a tournament before. And it's challenging to keep the same level of tension and concentration against top players over such a long period of time.
At the age of 33 you were able to achieve the greatest success of your career and your best ranking in the world rankings. How do you explain this success at this point in time?
I can't believe how it's gone so far. I had a tough last year, started the season in 150th position and then immediately injured myself again in Australia. It's unbelievable that I'm now in 28th place just a few weeks later. How fast that went up is really crazy. There is no secret recipe for this, just hard work and 100 percent commitment.
At 33, you're in good company in the top 100. 30+ players are currently in their 30s and many of the players are in their 25s. Does it take a certain age in tennis to perform at your best?
There are definitely a lot of things I have ahead of my 20-year-old self that I could pass on to him. It would also be bad if that wasn't the case. You have more experience and you get a much better sense of what is good for you and what is not. You learn to classify things better and to trust yourself and your feelings more. These are important qualities to survive on the tour.
Does this also include the right mental attitude and positive body language?
On the pitch, it's mainly the mental things that I only internalized later. Especially at the beginning of my career I was more of an introvert on the pitch. In recent years I have also tried to get a little more energy through positive body language. Anyone who plays tennis knows how difficult it is to stay positive on the court at all times. But if I had remained frustrated or angry after losing the second set against Tsitsipas, it would have been even more difficult to win the match. So for me there is only one way to be successful: "Never quit" and always try to stay positive.
It is now possible that you can become the new German number 1 in the next few weeks. Would that mean anything to you?
No, that's irrelevant to me. I look at myself and am happy about my results and the best world ranking position of my career. With Sascha we have someone who has been the clear number 1 in Germany for years. The fact that I'm now so close to him is only due to his long injury and the fact that I didn't have any points to defend. I'm sure he'll soon be up the rankings again.
What can you take away from the past few weeks for the French Open?
When I think about it, it's really crazy. Before Monte-Carlo I wasn't even safe in the peloton and now a few weeks later I'm seeded in Paris. That's definitely an advantage, but there are also many players outside the seed list who are really dangerous. I have very good memories of the French Open because I reached the fourth round twice here. I would be lying if I wasn't highly motivated when I started in Paris. But I've always done well to only communicate specific objectives within the team. But what I can definitely say after not being able to be there last year: I'm really looking forward to coming back to Paris.