Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: What is Tracy Austin actually doing?
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix had only one single winner in the first four years of its existence: Tracy Austin. The American has remained true to the brand of her winning car.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Apr 25, 2020, 08:03 am
When the 15-year-old American Cori Gauff crowned her amazing first year on the WTA tour with her premiere title last autumn in Linz, there was once again talk of the success of a "child prodigy". In fact, in the case of Gauff, years of meticulous training work is behind the early success, supported by professional management and opportunities to train in places such as Patrick Mouratoglou's academy.
When the then 15-year-old American Tracy Austin won the first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 1978, the word "child prodigy" was more likely to be used. Especially since there could be no question of long-term career planning. It was only a few days before the event began that Austin had decided to become a professional tennis player. "The tournament in Filderstadt was the perfect start for me," she said in retrospect in 2018 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of her triumph.
Youngest US Open winner
The first opponent in the final was Betty Stöve, in 1979 Austin won, as well as two years later, against the great Martina Navratilova. The 57-year-old had already climbed to the top of the WTA world rankings and won her first Grand Slam title at the 1979 US Open - at the age of less than 17. To date, Tracy Austin is the youngest winner of the US Open. Another success should follow in 1981, but after that the career came to an abrupt end due to injuries.
# IMG2 #
“I was the first to have had so much success at such a young age. There were no role models. I was on my own when it came to making the right decisions, ”Austin said - no comparison to the team that a player like Cori Gauff gathered around at a young age.
Austin is still driving a Porsche
“The big careers start later, but they are also more permanent because athletes pay more attention to themselves and their bodies than they used to. We had no entourage of experts and consultants - tennis at that time meant that I had to coach myself. ”The current professional tennis among women demands a significantly higher emphasis on the physical component than at the time, said Austin. Teens would have a hard time doing this. Even if Grand Slam tournaments have won with Bianca Andreescu, Sofia Kenin and Naomi Osaka in recent years.
Tracy Austin lives with her family in California today and has remained true to her winning car. That means: the brand. "We are a Porsche family, we all love these cars," says Austin, who still works for various TV stations as an expert.
# IMG3 #