On Tuesday evening, the German national tennis team went on a trip, not for the so-called team building, as it sometimes happens today, but for purely sentimental reasons. The players drove together to the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena in Malaga and sat in the stands to watch Rafael Nadal for at least one set in his last match as a professional tennis player. Everyone, Daniel Altmaier, 26, reported the next day, had tears in their eyes: “I think we won’t experience a moment like this again, when such an icon leaves the sport.” Of course, he also had it when he was younger Young boy watching Nadal win on TV.
The DTB selection was also able to take a look at their future opponents in this hall. Because it is not Spain that will play in the semifinals of the Davis Cup, but the nation that sent Nadal into retirement, the Netherlands. And Germany’s tennis players will be announced as challengers to the team led by the now world-famous Botic van de Zandschulp on Friday at 5 p.m.
Daniel Altmaier played a significant role in this surprising success because he beat the young, up-and-coming Gabriel Diallo in straight sets, 7:6, 6:4, in the quarterfinals against Canada on Wednesday. Jan-Lennard Struff, 34, then defeated top Canadian player Denis Shapovalov 4:6, 7:5, 7:6. Because the DTB team was comfortably leading 2-0, the two newly crowned double champions of the ATP finals, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz, no longer had to enter the court.
For Altmaier, who was preferred by national coach Michael Kohlmann over Yannick Hanfmann because of his sometimes unconventional shots, this individual victory was doubly valuable. On the one hand, because he is always happy when the team boss sends him an invitation to join the illustrious circle of Davis Cup players. On the other hand, it was only his second success at the third appointment. He made his debut in the home game in Trier against Switzerland in spring 2023, when he was unexpectedly sent into a duel with former Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka and promptly lost. He feels comfortable around this team of veterans, most of whom are in their 30s, who support him when he feels nervous about a task.
“We all get along well and we all have the incentive to play well,” said Struff, who will take on the leadership role in the absence of Alexander Zverev. Struff had already defeated Shapovalov in three sets two years ago – but back then the DTB team still lost 1:2 and Canada won the cup. It is not out of the question that the German team will reach out for the silver bowl for the first time since 1993. “We can already see the cup, it would be nice if we could play for it again,” said Kohlmann.
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