Sky commentator Paul Häuser in an interview: "With us, the rallies are sacred"
Paul Hauser , 37, is one of the most famous tennis voices in Germany. He is currently at the start at Wimbledon - a conversation about the way to the microphone, the art of keeping shut and the fun of commenting on a Nick Kyrgios match.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jul 05, 2021, 10:42 am
Paul, the first week of Wimbledon is over, now it's getting serious. What has been your highlight so far when commenting?
That was right at the beginning, Nick Kyrgios versus Ugo Humbert . Then I knew: It could be a mega match, anything can happen. Kyrgios can lose in three straight sets and it can be a blockbuster with a spectacular ending - it turned out to be.
Fewer on-site journalists are admitted to Wimbledon this year than the regulars. How are you set up?
For us, the entire production this year comes from Unterföhring. Only Moritz Lang is there. The strange thing is that he was then listed in the corona tracking system as a contact with someone who tested positive. Moritz was on the system for the first two days, then the message came. Now he has to stay in the hotel until Tuesday - bitterly. But because of the EM, Sky has Uli Köhler in London. He is now accredited as a replacement. Uli actually specializes in Bayern and the national team, now he's at Wimbledon for the first time in his career (laughs) .
What does it matter if you can't be at the tournament to comment?
Sometimes it's a bit difficult because you don't have any impressions. The exchange with the reporter on site is all the more important. In the meantime, however, my network has also grown, and I can also exchange voice messages or make phone calls with coaches or players. For example, last week I spoke to Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh and Markus Hipfl. This is important, also to get a feel for the speed of the squares, the bubble, for the hotel or the long journey to the facility in London with so much traffic.
Tennis commentator is a dream job for many fans. How was that with you, how did you get into Sky?
I did an internship at Sky in 2012. I was then a junior editor and later an editor at Sky Sport News. Sky only broadcast Wimbledon back then. But with the purchase of the rights for the ATP tour from 2017, tennis on Sky took on a different status. I've been commenting on tennis on Sky ever since. Since 2020 I have been working primarily in the tennis editorial team.
Do you remember your first match that you commented on?
Yes - Borna Coric against Marin Cilic in Rotterdam. I was really very nervous! It was a completely different discipline for me. Before that, I mainly made contributions, wrote texts and set them to music. But that was never live, I had several attempts, so to speak. In 2016 I made a test comment at the 2016 Wimbledon tournament, semi-finals, Federer versus Raonic.
Trial comment means: You commented on tape and then it was listened to?
Exactly. And with Federer and Raonic it was five sentences, a huge match! But it convinced my bosses, they said: You're in, we'll give you the chance, you can comment on tennis. The first time really live, in Rotterdam, that was tough. It was good in that it was a smaller tournament. Soon I also had a lot of night shifts, Indian Wells, Miami, in front of a smaller audience. That was important for me in order to get a certain level of match resistance, a routine.
Do you have certain requirements at Sky on how to comment and how not?
For us, the rallies are sacred, we try not to chat into the points. It's a clear corset, but it helped me a lot. Because I like to tell a lot. In the past I always wrote down: “Less is more!” The most important thing is the sport that takes place on the court, the protagonists. You have to leave something behind. Of course, we also exchange ideas with one another, give each other tips on what went well and what should get better next time. Above all, Stefan Hempel, Marcel Meinert and Markus Götz helped me a lot; they were, so to speak, mentors for me.
When a tournament like Wimbledon is coming up, with many parallel matches, how does it work: Is there a fixed division or can you also wish for matches that you would like to comment on?
Our project manager divides this, certainly in consultation with some commentators. At Wimbledon, the game plan is usually very late in the first few days, so it takes a while until we know who will get which match. In your mind you go to bed with the two matches you have the next day. But the preparation only starts in the morning.
How do you prepare specifically?
On the one hand, there are "Match Notes" from the ATP, WTA and ITF, with statistics and lots of data on all matches. Then I talk to colleagues who may have commented on my player beforehand. A popular question here: Who is in the box? But the best information always comes from on site. Ideally, you should speak to someone on the phone who has access to the player.
One unpredictability in tennis is that a match can last an hour or five hours.
Oh yes, I had to learn a lot there too. In the beginning, I often shot my powder too quickly. According to the motto: I really want to tell the things that I have on the slip! (laughs) I put myself under pressure and wanted to pass on the many stories that I researched. This “kill your darlings”, not telling everything and not overloading the audience with information - that was an important learning experience. I now have a list of my top 3 stories that I really want to tell. I consciously set this in moments when there is time, when switching pages without advertising, for example. But the most important thing is always what happens in the match, the focus should be on the analysis. Also the attempt to deliver tactical added value. Not always easy, especially in lawn tennis. Premium and return are even more important here. When John Isner and Reilly Opelka play - yeah, you can examine the service pattern and return position, but there aren't that many tactical refinements.
A Kyrgios match is more grateful ...
Every match has its charm somewhere, it is a top sporting performance. But, I'll be completely honest: I enjoy commenting on Kyrgios the most. Because it's so unpredictable, with so much show, so much ingenuity. His pure talent is outstanding. If I can choose a match: Kyrgios against Bublik, you won. Tennis needs guys like that. Kyrgios stands for himself, is authentic, has developed as a personality. I'm curious to see what other highlights he will give us in the future. Whereby the feeling always remains: It's a shame that he lacks the ultimate professionalism. Otherwise he wouldn't have had to pull out at Wimbledon either. He was definitely not well prepared for a Grand Slam tournament.
You also have new experts with you this year, with Sabine Lisicki last week and Julia Görges this week. Do you have to adjust if someone suddenly sits next to you?
I've always loved the double comment. Privately as a television viewer, but also at work as a discipline. At the ATP Finals last year, this double comment was a completely new experience for me. I commented on that with Patrik Kühnen, and in the double comment the proportion of speaking is automatically higher, that is a different intensity. I also needed feedback there. You have to take a step back, but it's really exciting. As a commentator, you have to make yourself aware: You have an expert next to you, you have to use him!
Because ex-professionals recognize more in a match, perceive a different level?
Yes, they have a different eye. Julia Görges, who was just a professional player. And Sabine Lisicki is still playing. What they see and what stories they know is awesome for us. My job is then almost exclusively to use this expert knowledge to tease out the added value for the audience. I am then the "pecker" for the experts and otherwise lead relaxed through the game. If this interaction works well, that's a lot of fun.
Paul, thank you very much for your time - and have fun in week two!