The irruption of Lucas Herrera Sánchezthe young tennis prodigy of only 14 years old, generated a strong impact on the European youth circuit thanks to his unusual ability to execute forehands with both arms and play without a backhanda characteristic that gave him visibility in national and international tournaments and projects him towards a promising future. The player was born and represents Germany, although his father is Chilean and his mother is Argentine..
Since his first forays into German tournaments, Lucas attracted attention for his striking style. At the age of 13, he already surprised in the semifinals of the prestigious Les Petit As, with a game that lacks a backhand, since he executes left-handed and right-handed drives interchangeably., following a methodology that is rarely seen on the professional circuit. His versatility is reminiscent of the recent case of the American Teodor Davidovwho won the doubles title in 2024 in the same tournament without using the backhand and achieved notoriety on social networks thanks to his particular technique.
According to the portal Sports World and the specialized medium Break Pointthe Lucas Herrera Sánchez’s main uniqueness lies in his ambidexterity. The young man, born in the Black Forest of Germany and son of a Chilean father and Argentine mother, He learned to always hit with forehands—without resorting to the traditional backhand—a technique that he perfected since childhood under the tutelage of his father, Jorge Herrera.a neurologist trained in Argentina and specialized in Germany, passionate about tennis and also responsible for the training of Jorge Tomás, Lucas’s older brother. “It was my father who taught me to play using only forehands on both sides,” said the tennis player, who characterizes his own style as a direct consequence of that initial education.
In evaluating last season, Herrera Sánchez highlighted the bronze medal achieved in the Monte Carlo tournament, which he described as “really special.” The teenager also has five recent podiums and a brilliant performance at the Junior European Championships, where he won gold in doubles with Luys Calin.
These results reflect the solidity of his present and fuel the expectations of public opinion regarding his professional development. Tools such as his tactical agility, the variety in the effects and heights of his shots, and his effective match management allowed him to eliminate the first seed in Les Petit Asa tournament where Rafael Nadal also excelled years ago.
The family environment maintains a central role in the lives of the Herrera Sánchez brothers, who today train daily at the German Tennis Federation center in Hannover. According to statements provided by Jorge Herrera a AS Chileboth children “They have the great advantage of being part of three cultures”and they are fluent in Spanish. The mother, Silviais a traumatologist in Germany, and both she and Jorge value that the priority remains schoolAccording to Jorge Herrera himself: “If school doesn’t work, your sport won’t work either.”.
The impact of Lucas Herrera Sánchez is not limited to sporting results. His approachable personality, the ability to combine academic demands and competitiveness, and his inspiration in figures such as Roger Federer, Jannik Sinner y Carlos Alcaraz They have made him one of the most followed players on the networks and in the European youth circuit. He himself recognized Tennis Europe: “I was obsessed with Roger Federer. He has always been my biggest idol since I was very little”.
Expectations around Lucas are growing, backed by his history in tournaments won by figures such as Steffi Graf o Tommy Haas in the past. The German federation and those close to him take on the challenge of accompanying the rise of this player, who, according to his father, “He trains up to four hours a day, he doesn’t have much time for other things”. Due to his potential and his uniqueness on the court, Lucas Herrera Sánchez is emerging as one of the most disruptive appearances in recent youth tennis.
