Krawietz in the supermarket, Gojowczyk with cooking class: tennis professionals during the tournament break
They are not big earners like Alexander Zverev and have been without income for weeks because of the corona crisis: German tennis professionals beyond the top 100 make a living from savings - and use their free time for more unusual occupations.
by SID / tennisnet
last edit: May 04, 2020, 12:18 am
Kevin Krawietz worked in a supermarket until Thursday. Cedric-Marcel Stebe increasingly plays the piano, preferably film music, "'Pirates of the Caribbean', something like that". Maximilian Marterer takes care of the garden at home in Stein near Nuremberg. And Peter Gojowczyk spends his free time, of which he also currently has much more than he likes, with his favorite hobby besides tennis: once a week he cooks on the Instagram show "Kasi Live" of his trainer Christopher Kas (always around 6 p.m. on tennisnetnews )
In times of Corona, the four German tennis professionals, all ranked at position 125 in the world rankings, as well as far more prominent colleagues: last they played on the first weekend in March, and at least until July 13 there is no chance of an international tournament . That means for everyone: a lot of time, little variety and above all no income. Krawietz, French Open winner 2019 in doubles, at least had a 450-euro job in the supermarket , and even international media recently reported on his unusual part-time job.
Krawietz: "Many players who are worse off"
They all live from savings, from reserves - and they still make ends meet. "Under no circumstances should I complain," says Krawietz (28), "there are a lot of players who are worse off." In singles he is number 626 in the ATP ranking, in doubles he is 13, and because last year was "phenomenal, I was able to do something". In 2020, he had already raised $ 83,000, and he would not have had to rely on the job in the supermarket.
Krawietz and his colleagues, who are currently allowed to at least train at the tennis base in Oberhaching near Munich, are still facing the problem of organizing their day. Sure, stresses Krawietz, "if you have only been on the road for ten or eleven years and have lived out of a suitcase, you also enjoy the time, you try your hand." He tries cooking, among other things, the other day he dared to eat banana bread. Result? "In need of improvement."
Everything is not so easy because: "That certain something is missing," says veteran Gojowczyk (30), number 125 in the world. "It was really difficult at the beginning," he admits, "I really didn't know how to find my way around". Meanwhile it goes, "I'm trying to find out the positive". Fortunately, cooking is his great passion. Last week he prepared tuna steak with avocado coriander cream and mango chutney for the followers on the Internet, "it was very well received".
Gojowczyk: "Maybe I'll give coaching lessons then"
Marterer (24) is particularly restless. Last year was difficult because of injuries, so he is currently only number 376 in the ATP ranking, and the situation with the corona crisis "does not make things easier," he says. He just tried to keep fit, did a little "in the household" and had to "sow a little" in the garden. Now he is happy that the German Tennis Association (DTB) in cooperation with tennisnet.com will start a tournament series for German players from June 8th . A corresponding tournament series is planned in Austria from May 25th.
Stebe (29/133. In the world rankings) also participates in this series with preliminary round, intermediate round, semi-final and final. Until then and beyond, he too can live on his reserves, but he also says: "Who knows, if it takes a year or more, it can be a problem." If this happens, Gojowczyk already has a plan: "Maybe I will give coaching lessons. Because doing nothing continuously will make you crazy."