SPORTS
When Wimbledon got underway 25 years ago the reigning men's and women's champions were German but since then the country, once a tennis powerhouse, has yet to find another champion to succeed Michael Stich and Steffi Graf in London.
When Wimbledon got underway 25 years ago the reigning men's and women's champions were German but since then the country, once a tennis powerhouse, has yet to find another champion to succeed Michael Stich and Steffi Graf in London.
While German women have had two more finalists with Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber at the All England club since Graf's last win there in 1996, the men have had none.
Of the seven editions of Wimbledon between 1985 to 1991 Germans Boris Becker and Michael Stich won four between them.
Apart from his three Wimbledon crowns Becker also won two Australian Open titles and one U.S. Open in his career, with no German able to emulate him or Stich since then.
"With an output of altogether four Wimbledon men's singles titles between 1985 and 1991, Michael Stich and Boris Becker certainly defined an era in German tennis history," German Tennis Federation President Sepp Klaus told Reuters.
"Both were exceptional athletes and their names are still closely associated with our sport."
Klaus was quick to point out players like Rainer Schuettler and Tommy Haas had since reached the last four in London while Philipp Petzschner won the doubles competition in 2010.
Despite Philipp Kohlschreiber and Nicolas Kiefer reaching the last eight, Germany have clearly missed the chance to build on their successful tennis run as other nations did before them.
Sweden churned out a string of top professionals following Bjorn Borg's successful era, with Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander and Thomas Johansson winning men's singles slams.
NEW CONCEPT
Becker-mania and the German public's enthusiasm gradually ebbed as success became rarer in the 2000s with Becker's biggest headlines late in his career concerning off-court issues.
Sponsors also moved away from the sport in Germany leaving the country without a Tier 1 event after the German Open in 2008 was downgraded from its Masters series status.
Even worse, the Berlin women's tournament, one of the oldest women's competitions in the world, was abolished nine years ago despite being a top tier event. Klaus said the DTB's new concept for promoting young talent launched in April would deliver the country's next top players more efficiently.
The idea is to identify talented youngsters earlier and draw them into the federation aged 12-14 while also linking top talent with national team coaches to facilitate the move from youth player to professional.
With hugely impressive 20-year-old Alexander Zverev, the world number 12 who has stormed to three titles already this year, turning the spotlight more on tennis in Germany, the timing could not have been better.
"The new concept of the DTB will provide a structure in which young players will hopefully thrive," Klaus said.
"It is our aim to find and support these talents at an earlier stage and to help them even more with the transition to professional tennis."
"I am convinced that our efforts will pay off and strengthen German tennis, and especially German men's tennis, in the long run."
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
Google secures Mumbai's BKC offices, renews lease with staggering monthly rent of over Rs.....
Meet man, who sold previous company for Rs 1 lakh crore, he is...
American whiskey Bourbon set to take over Indian market, here's how
Ten devotees from Chhattisgarh killed as car collides with bus enroute to Maha Kumbh
What happens after UPSC? Civil servants share about life at LBSNAA
Mukesh Ambani, sons Akash and Anant take holy dip at Mahakumbh, woman shares video; watch here
'What Akshay Kumar does is..': Ahmed Khan reveals superstar uses teleprompter for…, defends his…
Maha Kumbh fame IIT Baba aka Abhay Singh's 10th, 12th marksheet goes viral
Ameesha Patel shares 'fraudulent promise' video of Gadar 2 because Anil Sharma...: 'How will you...'
After Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi’s teammate Federico Redondo takes dig at PSG, claims...
Who is Abhinav Chandrachud? Lawyer representing YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, he is son of famous...
India's Got Latent controversy: YouTuber Apoorva Makhija kicked out from IIFA? Here's what we know
Former WWE wrestler gives BIG warning to Ranveer Allahbadia, says, 'people like him have...'
Ukraine's Zelenskyy makes BIG claim, says Donald Trump can push Putin to...
Anti-Valentine’s week: From Breakup Day to Slap Day, 7 days explained
Saturday bank holiday: Are banks open or closed on February 15? Check here
Meet Fearless Nadiya, first female Bollywood action star, she was from...
Prateik Babbar shares passionate kiss with Priya Banerjee in dreamy wedding photos
Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna’s Chhaava is a historic epic that roars to glory
'India, US stand firmly together in fight against terrorism': PM Modi
Ranveer Allahbadia hires Ex-Chief Justice of India's son as his lawyer, approaches Supreme Court
CanCentra Review 2025: Scam Or Legit Trading Platform? - Canada Facts!
PAFI Kabupaten Gunungkidul Launches Pharmacist Training Program to Elevate Healthcare Standards
Oswal Energies introduces Advanced Clean Energy Solutions at India Energy Week 2025
Top 5 Astrologers in India: Meet the experts who are shaping the future of Astrology
Don't Drown in the Decibels: A Cautionary PSA for Web3 community
BitGo's IPO Ambitions: A Bridge Between Traditional Finance and the Web3 Frontier
'Will sue': Mexico President Sheinbaum threatens legal action against Google over this reason
Urfi Javed gets engaged? Ring ceremony photos go viral, leaves fans speculating
With Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar set to exit, know who will likely succeed him
The curious case of Junaid Khan: What is unusual about Aamir Khan’s son?
Zeenat Aman reveals what she eats in a day to stay fit at 73: 'I used to feel embarrassed'
Anti-Valentine's Week 2025: Slap Day to Breakup Day, check full list
'Let's wait and watch': Baba Bageshwar addresses Ranveer Allahbadia controversy
Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt give couple goals, look perfect in black suit, red saree: Watch
TraderAI Review 2025: Scam or Legit Trading Platform? - Facts Check!
Vishal Dadlani meets with accident, postpones Pune concert: 'We regret to...'
Mallcom Breaks New Ground: Launches its D2C E-Commerce Store
SHOCKING! Man 'dead' in Mahakumbh stampede returns home on his own 'terahvi', asks family members...
Viral Video: Humpback whale swallows Kayaker, but then something shocking happened
IPL 2025 to start on THIS date, Rajat Patidar's RCB to face reigning champions KKR at Eden Gardens
World richest man Elon Musk gave THIS special gift to PM Modi, has SpaceX connection
'Frankly, I've been...': What US President Donald Trump said about Bangladesh crisis?