Tennis wonder child Justin Engel beats struff on the Rothenbaum!

Tennis wonder child Justin Engel beats struff on the Rothenbaum!

The young tennis talent Justin Engel, 17 years old, inspires the audience with his appearance at the Rothenbaum in Hamburg. With a sovereign 7: 6, 7: 6 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, Engel celebrated his second victory on the ATP tour. The aspiring player has excelled in a German duel due to his remarkable performance and will now meet Andrej Rublew in the round of 16. Engel is considered one of the most promising talents of the German Tennis Federation, supported by experienced former professionals.

Engel, who is in number 333 of the current world rankings, regularly trains up to four hours a day. Despite the hard competition, especially after an initially mixed year 2025, his positive attitude remained unbroken. His trainers, including Philipp Kohlschreiber, actively support him on his way. Kohlschreiber not only acts as a trainer, but also Horst Engel, Justin's father, plays an important role in his career path.

support from experienced players

The presence of tennis icons such as Philipp Kohlschreiber and Charly Steeb in Engels environment offers him valuable insights and experiences that are crucial for his success. Kohlschreiber takes over a central coaching role, while Steeb acts as a consultant. Alexander Zverev, who is number one and also plays on the Rothenbaum, describes Engel as a player with "great potential". Zverev himself recently defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6: 1, 7: 6 (7: 5) in the next match on Alexandre Muller.

The connection between angel and struff is special: Struff used to be a babysitter for the young angel, and family ties also play a role, since Horst Engel Struff's girlfriend was training at the time. These personal relationships illustrate how closely the German tennis network is, even in moments of the competition.

The challenges in German tennis

However, the recent success of players and angels are contrasting to the challenges that German tennis plague overall. Lars Uebel, responsible for the young tennis at the DTB, emphasizes that it is time to improve the conditions for young talents in Germany. The lack of support from a school system aimed at tennis and the high costs for the development of a player have serious effects.

In addition, there are many talents in the United States who are looking for the chance to promote, often from financially stronger households. This situation raises questions about the future of the German tennis landscape. In an environment in which many talents migrate, it is important that the framework conditions for tennis training are improved to promote the next generations of successful players.

In a sport that places such high demands on his athletes, it remains to be seen how angels and his peers will develop further while mastering the challenges on the international stages.