From tears to tears: how Altmaier overcame his Davis Cup demons to win against Sinner
In the space of four months, Daniel Altmaier has gone from his toughest defeat to his greatest victory – so far
Daniel Altmaier, Roland-Garros 2023 | © AI / Reuters / Panoramic
In February this year, Daniel Altmaier, the surprise conqueror of Jannik Sinner at Roland-Garros, had to swallow the toughest defeat of his tennis career. The German was edged out in the Davis Cup deciding singles rubber against Stan Wawrinka as Germany faced Switzerland at home.
“It hurts so much,” said Altmaier back then as he fought back tears: “I haven’t been so emotional after a match in a long time because it was such a great honour to be here and to play for my country.” Despite a strong fight, the 24-year-old lost 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 to the three-time Grand Slam winner. Instead of advancing to the Davis Cup finals in Malaga, Altmaier and the German team now face relegation.
Altmaier : “I learned a lot from this loss”
When one reporter reminded the world No 79 player of this memory after his win over world No 9 Jannik Sinner in the second round of the French Open, the biggest win of his career, Altmaier said: “I learned a lot from this loss and I said very soon after that match that I left my heart on the court although I did not play my best tennis.
“But mentally I was totally ready and that is the most important. You have the responsibility as a player to bring everything on the court and I told the other German guys that we need this team spirit, this Davis Cup atmosphere in every tournament. We represent Germany, we can form a team outside of this competition because we see each other every day on every tournament and this team atmosphere gave me a lot of emotions also for today.”
In February, Altmaier was in tears. The German fought back tears again on Thursday, but this time they were tears of joy as he beat Sinner 6-7, 7-6(7), 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 in an incredible, historic five-set epic. After the final point, the clock read five hours and 26 minutes, making it the fifth longest match in Roland-Garros history. It is also the longest Grand Slam match a German player has ever played.
After such a dramatic match, the emotions were unsurprising. Altmaier saved two match points in the fourth set, one with a fortunate net-cord that was reminiscent of the second round of the US Open in 1989, when Boris Becker saved a match point against Derrick Rostagno in a similar situation.
Altmaier then served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth set, but he failed to close it out as the crowd chanted loudly for Sinner. Later, in German, Altmaier explained: “There were also moments when they chanted ‘Daniel, Daniel!’ so I didn’t care. To be honest, I love the atmosphere when the crowd supports both sides – that balance on both sides. A fair competition, that respect for the sport of tennis. That is why I was so emotional.”
Altmaier’s dreams of Grand Slam
Altmaier remained in the moment, breaking Sinner’s serve again. He initially squandered four of his own match points and finally converted his fifth. After sealing his victory, the German crouched down and threw up his arms before he started to cry.
“I just love the game of tennis,” Altmaier told Marion Bartoli afterwards. “Just play every point with the maximum possible energy, that keeps you in the present.”
He stuck to this attitude stubbornly. Altmaier recalled that there were “so many previous matches” with “match points here and there”. In the past he would put a lot of pressure on himself. He would frequently discuss his dreams of a Grand Slam win but his success on the Challenger tour failed to translate to the bigger stages. Still overcome with emotions, he said: “I don’t know if it was a historic match, but it was certainly one to remember.”
Three years ago at the French Open, in 2020 during the pandemic, Altmaier made an unforgettable run into the last 16 as a qualifier, stunning eighth seed Matteo Berrettini in the third round.
I’ve improved my stability so I just feel stable on the court with all my strokes.
Daniel Altmaier
Late in 2022, he won two Challengers in Peru and Ecuador and reached another final in Uruguay. In April during the ATP tournament in Munich, his Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann said: “Altmaier struggles a bit with the transition mentally. The game to compete on the highest level has been there for a long time.”
A few weeks ago in Madrid, he finally produced his best tennis on a big stage, reaching the quarter-finals. After his straight-sets win in the first round of the French Open against Marc-Andrea Huesler, he rushed through the German press conference in three minutes: “If I would see the match against Sinner just as a reward, I would not have to go out on the court. I lost against him in five sets last year in New York. I have a very clear idea of what I want to do and I go out there to win,” he said calmly.
He added: “I improved some things off the court. I am working on myself. I now understand better what my coach wants from me with all his experience. I’ve got the stability, I’m working on myself. Little by little it’s getting there. I’ve improved my stability so I just feel stable on the court with all my strokes.”
After the win over Sinner, he told German reporters that this newest success belongs to his team: “Alberto Mancini and my fitness trainer are both Argentinians who have an incredible amount of experience and who work together incredibly well as a team. I have a few people involved more in general, but I only want to mention them because for the last few months I have tried to live in the moment and to take it day by day. I want to stay in the moment.”
Clay, his best surface
For years he has spent a large part of his off-season at Núñez y Belgrano, a tennis centre in Buenos Aires where most of the Argentinian professionals practise. Last December, for the first time, his countryman Yannick Hanfmann spent three weeks practising there. Together, they worked through lengthy, physical training sessions.
In Rome, Hanfmann defeated top 10 players Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev to reach the quarter-finals: “Hard work and discipline are required in Argentina. I think Yannick understands that now, and his game and physical condition have improved as well,” said Altmaier.
Altmaier will next face Grigor Dimitrov, who recently reached the Geneva final. “He can play an incredibly high level on his best days but I think my game fits pretty well on clay,” Altmaier said.
With his heavy topspin game, it is no secret that clay is Altmaier’s best surface. “I have to be honest with myself, if you look at my success, clay is my favourite surface and Roland-Garros as a Grand Slam is another level, also in the media. When I win a Challenger, there is very little going on in the media but if I win one or two rounds here, my mobile phone explodes. That’s a highlight here.”
