Interview | Tennis in Berlin: Interview | Tennis in Berlin: “There is a lot of resistance in the districts”

The Laver Cup brings the world’s top tennis players to Berlin. Klaus-Peter Walter, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Tennis Association, is delighted about the event and that tennis is generally on the rise. If only it weren’t for politics.

rbb|24: Mr. Walter, the Laver Cup is bringing the big tennis circus to town. What does the President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Tennis Association hope for from this tournament?

Klaus-Peter Walter: We are delighted with the great attention and that Berlin is being mentioned worldwide in this context. The sporting aspect certainly plays a secondary role. Hardly anyone is excited about whether the European or the World team wins. But as an event, it is important that something like this takes place.

How come the tournament is now in its seventh edition in Berlin?

The organizers behind the Laver Cup operate worldwide and had already decided last September or October to make Berlin the next venue. The organizers also approached us. We as an association have been in contact with them since December 2023. We are part of the supporting program, with several small tennis courts, to make the sport even more popular.

A total of eight small courts are literally rolled out in front of the arena at Ostbahnhof so that you can try it out under supervision. You can also have your serve speed measured. Should you bring your own racket?

We have them on site too. We had already organized the same thing for the WTA tournament at the LTTC Rot-Weiß facility, and it was a complete success. There were 500, 600 children there, and it was well received. We’re hoping for the same this time, especially since the weather seems to be playing along.

One of the stars at the Laver Cup is Germany’s top player Alexander Zverev, currently number two in the world. However, there is a big gap behind him. Some experts and players say that Germany needs more smaller, so-called Future and Challenger tournaments to stop this gap. To make it easier for the talented players to enter the professional sport.

In Germany, we have the Bundesliga, a format that offers a relatively large number of playing opportunities and secure income. But it is true, and it is also part of the new performance concept of the German Tennis Association, which is used in particular to promote smaller tournaments. However, it is also a question of money. Even tournaments in the lowest category entail costs that a club cannot simply cover.

Barbara Rittner, a former world-class player and national coach of the DTB from 2009 to February 2024, also holds the regional associations accountable for thinking more about themselves than the bigger picture. Is she right?

To my great surprise, it is actually the case that many regional associations do not feel that they belong to competitive sport. The internal association tournaments often just flounder. But Berlin-Brandenburg is always there because we see the importance, especially for the next generation. And even if it is more of a grassroots sport, we have around 200 tournaments here per year, some of which have sensational matches.

Demand across the board also seems to be growing. The DTB recently announced growth figures for the third year in a row.

When I started in 2011, our association had 39,000 members. Now we have 47,000.

Andrea Petković – author and former tennis player

The author and former tennis player Andrea Petković started playing tennis at the age of six and became an absolute world-class player: in 2011 and 2014 she was among the top ten in the world rankings. She successfully competed in numerous international tournaments before competing in her last competition at the US Open in 2022 – and then retiring completely from professional sport.more

During the Corona period, there were also large increases nationwide. Why did Alexander Zverev become Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2021?

Because we were unable to make politicians aware that tennis is taking place far away from each other. That’s why it was able to take place again relatively quickly. And so many new people joined.

What is the current situation of tennis in Berlin and Brandenburg?

It looks good. Also because everything is self-financed. It is the members who ensure that innovations and investments take place. Of course we also accept grants. But it is the members who build the new clubhouse or the new changing rooms, who renovate the facility. The trainers can also make a living from what they offer. In other sports we are often below the minimum wage. This of course makes it difficult for the sport to develop.

That sounds a bit like the old prejudice that tennis is a sport for the rich.

Not at all. There are of course all sorts of clubs. But there are also clubs where the annual membership fee for children is, for example, 110 or 120 euros. I think that’s affordable.

How could Berlin-Brandenburg improve in terms of tennis?

There is, surprisingly, an incredible amount of resistance to accepting tennis, especially in the districts. And then outdoor courts in Berlin-Mitte are being hijacked so that a new school building can be built, even though there are no students at all. And this is happening at a club that is doing an exemplary job of helping disabled children. The same thing is happening in Kreuzberg. The club on the grounds of the Jahnsportpark could have three times as many members if a few more courts were built. But the districts see things completely differently. That is worrying us.

Thank you for the interview.

The interview was conducted by Ilja Behnisch.

Broadcast: rbb24, 17.09.2024, 10 p.m.