Interview with Niklas Höfken, Head Coach Wheelchair Tennis
"The upgrade is sensational"
Qualified for the World Team Cup, still in the running for a place at the Paralympics and strongly represented in the Allianz Para Trophy field of participants: The German wheelchair tennis team is currently in top form.
Niklas, what does the upgrading of the Allianz Para Trophy mean?
The move was well deserved, but also necessary. I don't think we would have been able to organise a third invitational tournament of this quality. The players absolutely need world ranking points, also with a view to the Paralympic Games. The fact that we were immediately categorised as a Grade 1 tournament is recognition of our work and communication with the ITF, because normally you have to work longer to achieve this status. So we can pat ourselves on the back, it's sensational!
What has happened in wheelchair tennis in the last year?
International wheelchair tennis is very busy, because of course everyone is focussing on the Paralympic Games. At the same time, some ATP tournaments are following our example and also organising wheelchair tennis tournaments. As a result, the scene is getting bigger and more professional and the standard is rising. This also applies to German wheelchair tennis. Our current German champion, Anthony Dittmar, is ranked 30 to 40 in the world rankings, higher than ever before. In order to qualify directly for Paris, he has to crack the top 30, which he is certainly capable of doing. Our boys are working meticulously and disciplined on their form.
What led to the men's national team qualifying for the World Team Cup in Latvia in March...
Exactly, the World Team Cup is the equivalent of the Davis Cup and the team is in the World Group for the first time in ten years. It's a great success that we've won the European qualifying competition, we had very close and good matches. This will give the boys a real push to keep this place in Turkey in May.
What is the structural impact of this success?
Basically, nothing has changed in terms of the framework conditions. There is still sports funding and a pot from the public purse for German wheelchair tennis - but no player can finance themselves with that. This means that our boys are still competing with players who are full-time professionals. Nations like the Netherlands, Great Britain and Japan do a lot from the association - and have won 80 per cent of the medals in the last 20 years. Ultimately, according to a recent ITF study, only the top 8 to 10 can make a living from wheelchair tennis, everyone else pays the price.
What are you and your team doing to improve the situation in Germany?
Together with partners such as the associations and projects like "Tennis for all" by the Gold-Krämer-Stiftung, we try to offer low-threshold programmes in clubs. With workshops, activity days and taster events, we bring people into contact with each other, promote inclusion and break down barriers between people with and without disabilities. I see a positive trend here, even if things are moving too slowly overall and I would like to see more willingness to take risks and make decisions. After all, we are getting more attention and having more success, there is a steadily growing number of amateur athletes and more and more children and young people are joining. However, this is a positive and necessary step, as it takes at least seven years for the youngsters who are there to be able to take part in tournaments such as the Allianz Para Trophy.
Photo credits: ITF, Kristiana Pilaga, World Team Cup Quali
