Tennis sand from yesterday. Before departure to Barcelonawhere on Saturday in the presence of Rafael Nadal The draw for the event, which was endowed with almost 3 million euros, took place and he himself was drawn against the Russian Pavel Kotow, the KURIER spoke to Austria’s newcomer and coach Steve Rettl. “Everything has changed on the tour, the hotels, the facilities and the training options are much better. And also the training partners,” says Rettl, who has been traveling with Ofner for more than 30 weeks and now also sleeps better. “It’s really cool when you play against the best on big courts in front of a lot of fans,” says Ofner, who also oversees the development work Wolfgang Thiem completed. physio Stefan Trost and pastry trainer Georg Mrkvicka were also partly responsible for Ofner’s rise.
For years this was also used by Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) educated. “It’s nice to see that this effort was ultimately worth it and that he’s come this far,” says ÖTV President Martin Ohneberg. “Ofi has finally been rewarded for his hard work in 2023 and can play the tournaments he wanted to play. I wish him that things go even further forward,” says ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer.
And the Ofner team itself knows where he can improve. “In all areas,” says Rettl. “But above all, he has to be in the game become more offensive, pursue more.“
So that’s missing Killer instinct still? “I could do a lot better, but follow-up is definitely a big point. I have to give the opponents more to think about, more Pressure exert on them. But it’s a long process. If you almost never do it for years, it takes time,” says Ofner, who was repeatedly set back by injuries.
Even off the courts, the likeable Styrian appears rather reserved. “Of course I can freak out during training or during a match, but I’m more on the calmer side. I talk to myself a lot when I’m upset, but it’s rare that I actually freak out.”
Understanding for Thiem
He also doesn’t pressure the media. “There are a lot more interview requests and more reports now. But I think it’s still not enough, after all, I’ve had the ranking for a long time and tennis is a world sport,” complains Ofner, who has been consistently in the top 50 for seven months and is currently ranked 44th, (justified) for more attention for themselves.
That Dominic Thiem, who will be in the main competition of an ATP tournament again from Monday in Munich, is getting more attention, but Ofner is less bothered. “That’s normal, Dominic was a world-class player for years, the only one in Austria. It’s clear that there is a lot of interest. Especially now that he’s struggling himself, everyone wants to know what’s going on.”
He doesn’t think much of it himself. “Tennis is one Individual sportsI have to get the best out of it for myself.”
2024-04-13 15:45:00
#Tennis #ace #Ofner #media #attention
