The ATP-500 tournament at Hamburg’s Rothenbaum is facing a change and is facing a big question mark concerning the future. Shortly before the start of the tournament, tournament director Michael Stich is making new headlines.
Last Tuesday tournament director Michael Stich announced the wildcards for this year’s Hamburg Rothenbaum and caused displeasure at the German Tennis Federation. One of the wildcards went to the young Norwegian Casper Ruud, although some German professionals had calculated chances for the start in Hamburg.
Dieter Hordorff, Vice President of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), in particular, stated in tennismagazin: “There is a corresponding contract according to which Mr. Stich may handle this last time this year. We must take note of that.”
The decision to give Ruud a wildcard alongside Florian Mayer and Rudi Molleker is not good for Hordorff, the vice president added.
With Yannick Hanfmann, who advanced to the Top 100 for the first time with his victory at the Braunschweig-Challenger, another German would have been a candidate for the wildcard.
Stich explained: “I have agreed on every wildcard with the DTB in nine years and it is acceptable to me that I have made my own decisions this year just like any other tournament director.
That Ruud was chosen is due to his personal decision, says the ex-number-one: “I personally think a lot of him and would like to give him the opportunity to continue on his path”.
For Stich, this year’s edition will be the last as tournament director. In 2017, a dispute between Stich and DTB led to a non-extension of the contract. Starting next year, the former Linz Chairman Michael Reichel will take over.
In recent years, the starting field at the former Masters tournament left much to be desired. This is mainly due to the surface. In Hamburg the tournament is played on sand although the tournament is between the end of the grass court season and before the hard court season. In 2015, Stich superstar and “sand court king” Rafael Nadal was able to guide to Hamburg, as he retired early in Wimbledon immediately before and wanted to play his way back into form on his favourite surface. Since then, the Hanseatic city has been a little dreary.
This year, however, Stich has been able to engage a number of high-calibre professionals. Dominic Thiem will lead the field with Diego Schwartzman, Lucas Pouille – so the Starflair is back in Hamburg.
In the future, however, a change in the coating will have to be considered. Especially with the plans of Hordorff, who wants to make the Hamburg tournament as a lighthouse event of German tennis.