Kerber coach Dieter Kindlmann - "You have to pretty much lower your ego"
Dieter Kindlmann has been the coach of Angelique Kerber since the end of 2019. In an interview with tennisnet, the former number 130 of the ATP tour talks about his beginnings as a coach, a very special protégé and the requirements for the ideal hitting partner.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Apr 04, 2020, 11:08 am
tennisnet : Mr. Kindlmann. Almost a year ago we sat at the WTA tournament in Rome, where we watched the match between Amanda Anisimova and Kristina Mladenovic together. Anisimova made an almost helpless impression at the time - and almost reached the final in Roland Garros a few weeks later. Is something like this understandable for a coach on the WTA tour?
Dieter Kindlmann : This is a huge opportunity. If the form of the day is right, you really believe in yourself and the player has a certain level, then a lot is possible today. That was the last time you saw that at the Australian Open. Sofia Kenin actually had no one on the screen, it only emerged in the course of the tournament that she started a walk. This dominance, as before, no longer exists. Nowadays you have to be there from the first round.
tennisnet : You were a professional on the ATP tour yourself. How did it turn out that you have now become one of the most renowned coaches for women.
Kindlmann : It was always clear to me that after my career I would start at the Bavarian Tennis Association. This is how it turned out after I had to stop at 30 because I had too many shoulder surgeries. I got a great transition as a tour trainer at the Bavarian Tennis Association. I was very happy there. I didn't want to travel that much anymore, to show young players something. After three months with the association, fate struck in the form of a call from Thomas Högstedt. I knew him from his time in Oberhaching. Thomas asked me if I could imagine stepping in at Maria Sharapova as a hitting partner for two months.
"The job of the hitting partner is underestimated"
tennisnet : An offer that you basically cannot refuse ...
Kindlmann : After agreeing with the association and agreeing that I could come back afterwards, I agreed. It was a new experience for me, at that time I had no idea about women's tennis. And then two months became three years in which I was Maria Sharapova's sparring partner. And my whole plan that I had after my career has changed. And I was also lucky that the transition from hitting partner to coach from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova worked so smoothly.
tennisnet : What is basically expected from a hitting partner?
Kindlmann : This job is very, very difficult and is also underestimated, sometimes even smiled at. If you do it correctly, the task is difficult. You should have a certain level, you should have been a very good player. And you have to pretty much lower your ego and adjust. You have to challenge the player, but not overwhelm it. You have to be able to play the balls with different types of swirl, different speeds. And you also have to be in very good physical condition.
tennisnet : One of your players was Madison Keys. It has incredible potential, but seems to have been overtaken by younger players like Naomi Osaka or Bianca Andreescu. Is it still possible for Maddie with the really big title?
Kindlmann : Madison Keys is a player who has extremely high qualities. We were in the final at the 2017 US Open. She has a power in her game that is very, very difficult to stop. But unfortunately it is sometimes very wild. And if plan A doesn't work, it becomes very difficult. Keys has been in the top 20 for years, which is an absolute top player. But the young generation is coming, especially among the Americans. And with the big tournaments you always have to be a bit lucky. Some doors have to open.
"I was often wrong about Serena Williams"
tennisnet : It worked well until the final against Sloane Stephens ...
Kindlmann : These US Open events were something special. The semifinals with Keys, Stephens, plus Venus Williams and Coco Vandweghe were four Americans. Keys and Stephens are very good friends, none of them had won a Grand Slam tournament before. And neither of us can imagine what it means to have the chance to win a Grand Slam tournament in your own country. The US Open is the largest event in the world for the Americans. This finale was emotionally very difficult.
tennisnet : Serena Williams also seems to have failed in the last major finals. Do you still see the 24th Grand Slam title on the horizon?
Kindlmann : I never thought that Serena could play tennis so great at such an old age. But if we really should take another year off now, then she is already 39. And the long interruptions are not good for her because you do not know how much she is training in the meantime. In the lost major finals, it was noticed that she absolutely wanted to win and therefore appeared tense. Which is extremely human. I've been wrong several times about Serena Williams' comeback qualities. I am very excited to see where your journey will go. In any case, it is still good for tennis that it is still there.
tennisnet : You have long been established as one of the top coaches on the WTA tour, currently in the service of Angelique Kerber. Could you also imagine coaching men in the distant future?
Kindlmann : Of course, at some point that might be conceivable. I love the sport of tennis. I love women's sports very much, I made my experiences there. On the other hand, I was active with men for 30 years. It is always important to me: I want to make the players who trust me better and more successful.