Matthias Bachinger - Now the journey really begins
Matthias Bachinger ended his career with the defeat alongside Dominic Thiem in the first round of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Munich. He will be missed on the tennis scene.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Apr 17, 2023, 05:43 pm
With the words "one last time" Matthias Bachinger entered the press grandstand of the BMW Open by American Express on Monday afternoon. Just a short time before, the 36-year-old lost in doubles alongside Dominic Thiem on a packed Court 1 of the MTTC Iphitos in Munich. The German-Austrian combo lost in two sets in the first round to the veterans Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald. But the result was irrelevant today. After almost 18 years as a tennis pro, Bachinger played his last match on the Pro Tour. And this in a special place for him.
End of career at Iphitos
"It was very emotional. I come from Munich and live about 10 minutes from the facility. This is my home tournament, which I have attended since I was a child and watched my idols. Finishing my career here is beautiful. In addition, with Dominic, a Grand Slam winner at my side, who didn't hesitate for a second to play with me. I will never forget that and I give him credit for it. It was a super nice finish," said Bachinger, who had slept badly in the last few days and also shed a tear or two.
Triumphs on the ATP Challenger Tour
The Upper Bavarian played over 550 matches on the ATP Tour and the Challenger Circuit. However, there was no game against Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. "But I was allowed to train with everyone," said the former number 85 in the ATP world rankings. And he faced a certain Andy Murray at the 2014 US Open. One of the highlights of the likeable blond boy's career, who was denied great success on the ATP tour. However, four title wins at Challenger level and two on the ITF Pro Circuit are on record.
"I was allowed to play against a lot of world-class players, even though I rarely won," Bachinger summed up with a smile. “Beating Kei Nishikori at the ATP 250 in Metz in the semifinals was something special. There were a lot of great moments, but the best thing is that I got to meet a lot of great people. Some of them have become my friends. That will stay with me forever and means a lot to me.”
Travel without tennis in mind
And what's next? “I don't have any concrete plans and wanted to draw a line here first. I would like to stay in tennis. However, I haven't really thought about it yet. However, I would like to pass on my experiences,” said the Upper Bavarian and added that travel should continue to play a major role in the coming weeks and months.
"But this time without a tennis bag," Bachinger specified the plans. "We've seen a lot, but I want to experience the cities without pressure and without thinking about tennis. Just let go and have fun.”
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