ATP: Jürgen Melzer about to duel with Milos Raonic: More than just one passenger

Jürgen Melzer stands for the last time in his career in the individual main field of an ATP tournament. At the tournament in the Vienna Stadthalle, the experienced player ends a long journey of 20 years in the tennis circus and starts a new one at the same time.

“I’m trying to prepare normally. When the tournament’s over, the singles career’s over.” Jürgen Melzer does not yet notice that the current week will be a special one.

The 16th appearance at the Erste Bank Open for the 37-year-old should be a worthy conclusion to a successful career. “It won’t sink in until I have time to review it. It’ll certainly be emotional.”

As reasons for the end Melzer names his family on the one hand, to which he wants to pay more attention. On the other hand, his body isn’t playing along the way he wants it to. “I didn’t make the decision easy for myself and listened to it,” he explained.

It was important to him to decide for himself when the right time had come for a career end. “I still have a level where I can play absolutely. Who knows if next year will still be like this,” Melzer said.

Therefore he decided to use Vienna as the stage for his last solo performance. The place where he played his first ATP match in 1999 and also won against the German Lars Burgsmüller in three sets. The Lower Austrian celebrated two of his five ATP tournament victories on the hard courts of Vienna, at a time when his career was in absolute high flight with eighth place in the ATP ranking.

On the last leg, the Canadian Milos Raonic whipping machine is waiting. “There are some players I’d rather have had,” Melzer admitted. “You’re often only a passenger against him.”

But despite his clear outsider role, Melzer knows that he often shone as a good return player during his career. In Memphis six years ago, he secured his only tournament success in the 500cc category with his final victory over Raonic.

Even if Melzer gets the short end of the stick on Monday evening in Vienna, the performance is only a stopover. The journey with the ATP circus continues, Melzer wants to position himself for the coming season in doubles.

In Vienna he got a Wild Card with his compatriot Philipp Oswald, who was without a double partner for 2019. Last week Oswald reached the final of Moscow with Max Mirnyi, but next year the Belarusian himself will not play a full season.

“I’m looking forward to playing with the Ossi,” said Melzer, who needs good results to get into the grids of ATP events next year. They will therefore travel to Vienna for the Challenger in Bratislava before the season is over.

For the time after tennis Melzer can imagine a career as a coach. “I’d hate not to use my tennis know-how,” he said. “But you have to see which offers there are and which players need which kind of support. I don’t have a problem doing that on public TV.”

During the last months Melzer was also a co-commentator for the ORF. An activity Melzer would like to continue. “This is a hobby. But the activity on the pitch is more appealing to me,” he clarified.

But first there is an emotional conclusion in the individual on the plan. No matter how long the week lasts for Melzer, the organizers in Vienna will give him a fitting farewell.