After ten years as tournament director, Michael Stich takes his leave of Rothenbaum in Hamburg. Whether the traditional tournament will continue to be held in the Hanseatic city after 126 years is not yet certain. Dominic Thiem is top seeded at the sand court tournament.
For Michael Stich, the 1991 Wimbledon winner doesn’t make any secret of this separation: “For us it’s over and no one knows exactly whether tennis at Rothenbaum will continue,” says the outgoing tournament director before the last German Open next week under his direction.
For ten years, the 1992 double Olympic champion was the face of the traditional tournament, which was held for the first time in the Hanseatic city in 1892. But the 49-year-old could not agree on a contract extension with the organizing German Tennis Federation (DTB); instead, the Austrian Peter-Michael Reichel was awarded the contract for an initial five years.
Nevertheless, the field of participants at the German Open is quite respectable. Top seeded is French Open finalist Dominic from Thiem in Austria, “one of the best clay court players in the world”, as Stich proudly reports. As last year, however, Germany’s top player Alexander Zverev is missing, the local hero is already in preparation for the hard court season.
In order to be able to return to his hometown under new auspices, the third in the world rankings has already contacted Reichel. “We will try to make Hamburg a hard court tournament. I still want what’s best for the city and will do everything I can to play there,” said the 21-year-old.
But the move from the Elbe metropolis to another city is not ruled out either, even though the tournament has so far been held virtually in the living room of the DTB in Hamburg’s Harvestehude district. Regardless of the future of the tournament, Stich would like “a Centre Court sold out in seven days, that would be my dream in conclusion.
Florian Mayer will definitely conclude with the Rothenbaum. The 34-year-old will play a German tournament for the last time in the Hanseatic city and his career will end at the US Open in New York. Stich liked to give the 94th World Ranking List, which reached last year’s Hamburg final, a wild card: “Florian has always remained loyal to us and has often shown his best tennis at Rothenbaum.
Stich, the last German winner at the Rothenbaum in 1993, wants to do this himself for the last time. In the legendary match he met his old double partner John McEnroe on Sunday. Together with the eccentric American he won in 1992 in Wimbledon.
But Stitch’s schedule is tight, only a few hours before he will return from the USA, where he was accepted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday as the sixth German tennis player. In keeping with this honour, the Hamburg Centre Court is sold out for the match against McEnroe with 7500 spectators and is thus much better filled than at many a regular tournament match…