At the German Senior Tennis Championships in Essen, the 90-year-olds are playing for their own title. With Günter Dreschke and Franz Schlüter there are two NRW players whose great love is tennis.
The hug is warm. Both players are clearly having fun. The result? It actually only plays a minor role. Günter Dreschke and Franz Schlüter gave it their all on the court at the Essen Tennis Center on Hafenstrasse for over an hour and had great fun doing it. That was what mattered most to both of them.
“Your stop balls are mean,” says Dreschke with a big smile on his face. Schlüter shakes his head almost a little ashamed: “That’s because I don’t have enough strength to play all the balls into the field anymore,” says the opponent, almost apologetically.
Schlüter and Dreschke are two of five very special participants in the German Senior Championships of the German Tennis Federation (DTB). They compete in the men’s 90 category. Both Schlüter and Dreschke are already 91 years old and share one great love: tennis.
Arrived by car myself
“I’m taking part in the championships here so that we have enough players to play for a title,” says Schlüter, who plays for TuS Bruchhausen, a district of Arnsberg. “Of course, at our age it’s no longer so easy to get enough players together.”
And just as they both move with vitality on the tennis court, they also manage their lives energetically outside of the court. Schlüter himself traveled the 100 kilometers from his home in the Sauerland region to the Ruhr area by car, just like Dreschke, who drove from the Bergisches Land, from Bergisch Gladbach, to Essen. “We keep fit, it’s not a problem at all,” says Dreschke, who only discovered tennis at the age of 35. “It’s been 56 years now,” says the former track and field athlete and handball player in a good mood.
Record participation for men 90
It is mainly thanks to themselves that Dreschke, Schlüter and the other players can still claim a DM title. “Our seniors really wanted us to host these men’s 90s and called each other and motivated each other,” says tournament organizer Sabine Gerke-Hochdörffer. The category was then launched by the DTB for the first time three years ago.
At that time, four participants registered for the premiere. Gerke-Hochdörffer is proud that this title fight has now taken place for the third time. Last year only three players competed due to short-term illnesses. “This year we have a record participation of five players,” says the organizer. Four games in four days would be a lot of work for the players, you might think. “But you can still manage it quite well,” says Schlüter. The DM are a kind of fountain of youth for the participants.
A year off from playing
Günter Dreschke (TC Grün-Gold Bensberg) only decided to take part in the German Championships at short notice because he needed an artificial shoulder joint after a serious fall and had to take a year off from playing. He has only been fully recovered for a few weeks.
But he has now gotten used to this new body part, just like his two artificial knee joints that he had previously received. “That was my first match after a year’s break. I’m happy that I’m fit again, that I can throw the ball up and move well again,” says Dreschke. “It’s getting better with every match now.”
Very low title chances
In order for both of them to be able to achieve such physical performance, nothing works without regular training. “I go to the tennis hall at least twice a week and do gymnastics every morning,” says Schlüter, who also plays team games. “I still play doubles with the younger ones,” he says. He means the gentlemen 80.
Dreschke is also active at least twice a week, tries to eat healthily and stay mobile. But neither of them has a chance of winning the title. Herbert Althaus, also 91 years old, born in Essen and reigning world and European champion, is the big favorite.
“We probably don’t have a chance,” says Schlüter and receives a nodding agreement. “But that doesn’t matter at all. We’re happy that we can meet here, play and maintain social contacts,” says Dreschke. “We don’t want anything more.”
Broadcast: WDR.de, “Over 90 duel at the German senior indoor championships in Essen”, February 20, 2026, 11:30 a.m
