tennisnet.com ATP › Grand Slam › French Open

Karatsev coach Jan de Witt: "Nobody will leave it untouched"

Coach Jan de Witt has been working with Aslan Karatsev for a few months. In an interview with tennisnet.com, de Witt also talks about working with Andy Murray and the special skills of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz .

by Jens Huiber
last edit: May 22, 2022, 10:18 am

Aslan Karatsev has been coached by Jan de Witt since Indian Wells
© Getty Images
Aslan Karatsev has been coached by Jan de Witt since Indian Wells

tennisnet : Mr. de Witt. You started the year as coach of Andy Murray, after the Australian Open you parted ways. Why?

Jan de Witt : We could not agree on all aspects of the joint work. He had one area that he didn't entirely agree with. But I wasn't willing to make compromises either.

tennisnet : In Sydney you reached the final with Murray.

de Witt : It wasn't just in Sydney that we got off to a good start. We had a very good preparation, improved in terms of content, already played well in Abu Dhabi. That also belongs in the picture. But that's how it is sometimes in our sport: if you can't agree that both sides say we're going in full of conviction that we can do a whole season together, then you part. The eight weeks were great, we had a lot of fun. But then it just wasn't the right thing.

tennisnet : When you come to tournaments with a man like Andy Murray - what are the differences to players who have not celebrated such great successes as Murray?

de Witt : It's different - but not my construction site. The content of the work is different for all players anyway, because everyone has their own personality, whether it's Andy Murray, Radu Albot or my current protégé Aslan Karatsev. As for the trappings with the media, with the viewers who have certain expectations - I don't have to worry about that.

tennisnet : How did the collaboration with Karatsev come about?

de Witt : He asked me if I could imagine working with him, described to me in which areas he would like to improve further - then we agreed on a test phase of four weeks and finally decided that we would do the whole season tackle together. It was that easy.

tennisnet : You knew each other before that?

de Witt : He was with us at Breakpoint Base before, but in 2015. Aslan was a completely different player then. And it's a total reboot because I wasn't working with him at the time myself.

tennisnet : Karatsev won the title in Sydney, after which he had many points to defend, especially the semi-finals at the Australian Open.

de Witt : And then the triumph in Dubai. That quickly adds up to 1,300 points, more than half the total points Aslan had. This is a new situation for him, which has not left Aslan untouched. We work every day to get better. And at some point he has to start winning matches. This is the case in all result sports.

"Karatsev combines immense physical ability with firepower"

tennisnet : How much are the circumstances affecting your player right now? For example, that he is not allowed to play in Wimbledon.

de Witt : No one can ignore it, they are all human beings. I try to set an example for Aslan and demand that he only deal with those things that he can influence. That he puts his heart into training, whether it's something technical or tactical. Of course it does something to a player if he's not allowed to play at Wimbledon. But we have no influence on these political things. We have to accept that. Even if we think it's crap that he can't play at Wimbledon.

tennisnet : What characterizes Aslan Karatsev as a player?

de Witt : His great strength is the combination of his immense physical abilities and the firepower he has. Especially forehand and backhand and return. It's my job that he uses that better and puts it on the record.

"Carlos Alcaraz will be hard to beat"

tennisnet : From a global perspective: Would you have thought that Novak Djokovic could build up such a perfect form - and play everything in Rome again?

de Witt : I found it fascinating with Rafa how quickly he came back. After such a long time, with so few matches. With Nole, things didn't go quite so quickly. But we're talking about the two best players of all time. They have the ability to get back into the right rhythm very quickly. Even if it took a little longer with Nole. We trained with him in Monte Carlo. He was certainly not completely healthy, not optimally prepared. But when he gathers the tools of his trade, he's back on top. I don't find that that surprising.

tennisnet : How far do you already see Carlos Alcaraz?

de Witt : He will be hard to beat. Because I think he'll be fit enough to win best-of-five matches here too. How it is with the concentration endurance, we will see. Alcaraz has already beaten Djokovic and Nadal, you should take that into account.

tennisnet : Quickly to football: when were you sure that Werder Bremen would make it to league one:

de Witt : On the 34th matchday, when the whistle was blown. With the background, when we still dumped Kiel in the sand... I was super nervous.

#IMG2#

rgmap

by Jens Huiber

Sunday
May 22, 2022, 02:55 pm
last edit: May 22, 2022, 10:18 am