“We can’t produce a Federer every 20 years”
Despite seven Swiss defeats in the first round, Swiss Tennis President René Stammbach is in a positive mood – and he warns against exaggerated expectations.
–Private clothes instead of match jerseys: Roger Federer has not played a game since his quarter-final out at Wimbledon a year ago. The picture shows him at the opening of a playground in Emmen LU on June 11th.
Photo: Remo Inderbitzin
Of eight Swiss players, seven lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Is this the new reality to get used to?
I do not believe that. Bencic can win their match, as can Hüsler. And Ritschard played fantastic against Tsitsipas. I would prefer to talk about a different number: We have a total of twenty players in all competitions at Wimbledon. This has never happened before.
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So mass instead of class?
To get class, you need mass. Look at the Italians: ten years ago they only had Fognini in the top 100 for men. Now they have a lot of youngsters who are causing a sensation. With Federer and Wawrinka, we had two absolutely exceptional players for years, but there was practically nothing behind them. Now many players are pushing up. Like Hüsler, Stricker, Ritschard, Bellier.
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“Every year there are only two or three in the world that make it into the top 100. We have to give the boys time.”
When Dominic Stricker and Leandro Riedi contested the junior final at the French Open in autumn 2020, people thought the future looked bright. Are the boys stagnant?
no We always said: After 18 there are three years that are hard. That separates the wheat from the chaff. Half a year ago hardly anyone would have bet on Riedi, now he has won several tournaments and made it into the top 300. Every year there are only two or three in the world that make it into the top 100. We have to give the boys time. The years of transition from juniors to men are difficult. Youngsters like Stricker and Riedi still have to develop physically, grow into a man’s body.
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–Swiss Tennis President René Stammbach: “To get class, you need mass.”
Photo: Peter Klaunzer (Keystone)
How does Swiss Tennis support you in this transition?
We offer excellent conditions in our national performance center. Even top French players train with us. We have a good coaching crew, practically all former top 200, top 250 players on the ATP tour. With Alessandro Greco as top sports manager and Michael Lammer as junior manager, we have very good people. And last but not least, we help financially. Our budget for top-class sport is around four million Swiss francs. There are also major sponsors such as Reinhard Fromm, who directly supports a dozen juniors with a significant six-figure sum, and the Swiss Sports Aid.
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“We have massively increased the budget for international tournaments. There are many more ways to win points with us.”
What can Swiss Tennis learn from Italy?
What the Italians did well: They have a lot of tournaments, their 18 and 19-year-olds can play in Italy all the time. We’ve also massively increased the budget for international tournaments. There are now many more ways to earn points with us. In Biel, Lugano, Zug, Klosters and so on. We will continue on this path.
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What else do you expect from Wawrinka and Federer?
I can’t judge that seriously. I don’t know exactly how her health is. I’m not a doctor.
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Have the expectations in Switzerland become too high in tennis?
Maybe with the audience. But we can’t change that. We can simply offer the best possible conditions. The fact is: We cannot produce a star like Federer every twenty or thirty years. This expectation has failed. He is not a decade athlete, but a century athlete.
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How can Swiss Tennis involve Federer even more in the promotion after his career?
We’ll ask ourselves and him that question when the time comes. At the moment he is concentrating on his comeback.
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Can Swiss tennis fans dream of more Grand Slam titles?
One can always dream.
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Simon Graf is Deputy Head of the sports department and has been reporting on ice hockey and tennis for over 20 years. He studied history and German at the University of Zurich and has written several sports books, including a bestseller about Roger Federer in 2018.
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