Dominik Koepfer is currently the third best German tennis player on the ATP Tour, behind Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff. Before the start of the French Open on Sunday (every day in LIVETICKER), the 27-year-old speaks in an interview with SPOX about his career path, the mental challenges for a tennis professional in the corona pandemic and ex-NFL superstar Drew Brees.
Koepfer also talks about his experiences with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and explains his passion for mathematics.
Mr. Koepfer, if you fly over your Instagram profile, you will notice that you keep going fishing. How did you get there?
Dominik Koepfer: My trainer Rhyne Williams is quite a fish freak. I went out to sea with him twice in Florida, which of course is a lot more fun than just standing on the shore and throwing the line in. You catch a lot there and see a few sharks along the way, there is a lot to offer. Fishing gives me a bit of a distraction from tennis, even if I personally don’t enjoy it that much. (laughs) It’s okay once or twice a year, but it’s tough and takes a long time. If you have to go out on the water at five in the morning and then stay on the water until seven in the evening, you end up pretty exhausted.
What are your passions outside of the tennis court?
Koepfer: A lot has to do with sport. I’ve been following the NHL since I’ve lived in Tampa – the Tampa Bay Lightning also won the Stanley Cup here last year. Otherwise I like to watch American football and of course the Bundesliga.
What’s your favorite team in the NFL?
Koepfer: I was always a fan of Drew Brees because I went to college in New Orleans. The Saints were a culture there, everyone lived the games and life in the city stood still on match day. Brees had a huge impact on our city.
In February 2020 you met Dirk Nowitzki on the Challenger Tour in Dallas. How did you get to know him?
Koepfer: He was briefly on the pitch and greeted me, that was pretty cool. Unfortunately, I never saw him play when he was with the Mavericks, but of course I watched him win the championship when I was a little boy.
Dominik Koepfer: “I have invested in my career”
As far as your sporting passions are concerned, your time at college in the United States has shaped you too.
Koepfer: In any case. I was 18 and had just graduated from high school. Going to college was the most obvious decision I could have made because I just wasn’t good enough at junior level. Back then I didn’t necessarily focus on tennis and did a lot of things on the side.
Then how did you make the step from college to professional life?
Koepfer: At college I was lucky that they helped me financially afterwards, as you don’t earn that much in the smaller tournaments. I was also lucky enough to be able to travel with a trainer right from the start. Happiness is part of it. I played well at the right time, stayed injury-free and whenever there was a step up I kept investing in my career. So I didn’t put the money aside, but instead put it in a trainer or a physiotherapist.
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