Barbara Rittner: I Hope Kerber e Goerges Play as Long as Possible

Barbara Rittner, the Head of Women's Tennis at the German Tennis Federation, says she hopes the current crop of German women players will play as long as possible and continue to have fun and success while playing.

In an interview with Abendblatt, Kerber says, "I hope that the established girls play as long as possible and above all have fun and success. I trust Tamara Korpatsch from Hamburg will stabilize in the top 100. Anna-Lena Friedsam lost the best years of her career due to two heavy shoulder surgeries but fought back in 2019. She can cause surprises just as much as Antonia Lottner. There will continue to be good women's tennis in Germany, but certainly less at the top level than in previous years."

Both of Germany's top stars, Angelique Kerber and Julia Goerges have changed coaches in recent times and Rittner hopes that the new partnerships would be stable and the last coaching changes in their careers. "I found the DTB's decision to release Fed Cup boss Jens Gerlach to work as head coach of Julia great, because I believe that both will harmonize humanly and professionally. I can't say that with Angie because I don't know her new coach Dieter Kindlmann that well. I hope for both that it was the last coaching change in their careers. (Kerber) She knows what it takes to play successfully, and she will have carefully considered choosing Kindlmann. But it will be much harder to come back because there is a lot going on in women's tennis. The quality of the new generation is incredibly high, which is yet another class of speed and self-confidence.

Speaking about the state of women's tennis in Germany currently, where there is a major gap between players who are above 30 years old and both who are under 18 years old, Rittner says, "The funding of the DTB has never been as intense as it is today. But our youth is a reflection of society. The will to put everything on one card and the absolute passion to burn for something can no longer be observed. Leaving the comfort zone, which made players such as Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges, Andrea Petkovic, Sabine Lisicki or Anna-Lena Grönefeld so strong, is no longer modern. Young people are sometimes too comfortable, many parents no longer perform their function as supporters and drivers sufficiently or too intensely. Everyone struggles on the court, but it is also increasingly difficult for many to invest away from 100 percent in the goal that they have set themselves. There is no consistency. But that's not just the case with tennis."

Finally, on her assessment of current WTA players, Rittner says she is confident that players like Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu will do well in 2020. "Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu with their Grand Slam successes. Of course, there is also a Coco Gauff, even though I am very reserved when I use the term child prodigy. Simona Halep, Ashleigh Barty, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova, who belong to the generation between young and old, have had a great season. I also think Dayana Yastremska, Elina Svitolina, Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova are very ambitious."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2rPsZOW