There are rumblings in German tennis, which became clear at the general meeting of the German Tennis Federation (DTB) on Sunday. Dietloff von Arnim, president of the world’s largest tennis association since 2021, was only re-elected in the third round of voting. “It’s a reminder, we have to deal with it,” the 63-year-old told the FAZ on Monday. “We have to communicate even more intensively with each individual state association. If we send out a message and it doesn’t get through, we have to question ourselves.”
In the first two rounds of voting, von Arnim missed a majority. His opponent Robert Hampe, President of the Westphalian Tennis Association, received 40.8 percent of the vote. The meeting was then adjourned. Before the third round of voting, Hampe withdrew his candidacy, and von Arnim received 89.9 percent of the vote.
Hampe was also elected to the DTB executive board as one of five vice presidents for four years. “I am sure that we will work together to find solutions,” said von Arnim. “It has become clear that a different wind must be blowing in the DTB,” Hampe told the FAZ on Monday.
“Solid finances” as the goal
The dissatisfaction among parts of the delegates apparently concerns different aspects. Above all, errors by the association’s previous management in dealing with the case of the now deceased former DTB vice president Dirk Hordorff, who was accused of abuse of power and sexual misconduct, were criticized.
The unsatisfactory situation in competitive sports, where no German player is currently among the top 50 in the world rankings among women, was also discussed. Despite growing membership numbers over the past three years, the financial situation in the association is also tense.
Von Arnim, who had already suffered a crushing defeat in the election for president of the world association ITF in September, has now set himself the main task of his second term in office to “achieve solid finances and continue to promote competitive sport and digitalization”. In order to be able to finance measures, we need to be more successful in the future, especially “in the areas of sales and sponsorship,” he says.
Klaus Bellstedt, Turin Published/Updated: Recommendations: 14 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2
It was also decided to increase membership fees. In the Hordorff case, the independent review commission initiated in April presented an interim report the day before the election, with completion expected in mid-2024. For the past six months, a “competitive sports” working group has also been working on proposals to improve support within the association. “But we won’t be able to harvest the fruits in the short term,” said von Arnim.
