By Kieran Jackson | Wednesday, June 6, 2018

 

Jurgen Melzer spoke to Tennis Now writer Kieran Jackson for this Q & A.

Photo credit: Generali Open

In modern tennis, there are not many players who can boast of having a successful singles and doubles career.

A former Top-10 ranked player in both forms of the game, Jurgen Melzer is an exception.

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The 37-year old Melzer, currently ranked 1,204 in the world following an unlucky series of injuries over four years, is refusing to throw in the towel.

While he admits the continued use of a protected ranking to enter tournaments is a frustration of his, in an exclusive interview with Tennis Now writer Kieran Jackson at the Surbiton Challenger event this week, Melzer spoke of his wish to say “goodbye on his own terms”, after having surgery on his elbow last year.

“Obviously, my body was falling apart a little bit," Melzer said. "The reason I’m still playing is that I want to say goodbye on my terms and I don’t want to stop because of an elbow or shoulder injury.

“Right now, I still feel like I’m able to play competitive tennis at a level where it’s not embarrassing—as long as it’s like that, I enjoy it.”

Melzer, a massive Bayern Munich fan, spoke with an unambiguous honesty and coolness which emphasises his popularity in the locker room. His self-assured nature, which has no doubt grown over a stellar 20-year career on tour, comes from the knowledge he has been there and done it.

Since turning pro in 1999, the left-hander has won twelve doubles titles—including the 2010 Wimbledon and 2011 US Open, both with German Philip Petzschner—five singles titles, and reached a career high ranking of No. 8 in singles and No. 6 in doubles.

The Austrian has also played Davis Cup for 20 consecutive years and the proposed revamp of the tournament by Spanish footballer Gerard Pique’s Kosmos investment group, under the umbrella of the ITF is an idea which doesn’t sit easy with Melzer.

The proposal for a World Cup of Tennis to take place after the traditional end-of-season finals (currently at the O2 Arena in London) would remove best-of-five set matches, as well as, more significantly, home and away ties.

“For me, it would be hard to accept no more home and away matches,” said Melzer. “I think that’s the heart of Davis Cup, that’s what it’s all about.

“On the other hand, of course there was a lack of commitment from top players in the past, and smaller federations could easily benefit from that money. If I had to choose, I would not choose the money though—I would choose the tradition.”

Despite this, when questioned on the difficulties players outside the Top 100 faced in making a living from tennis, Melzer praised the ITF’s creativity regarding the new ‘Transition tour’ set to come in next year to replace the ATP Challenger circuit.

“I think the transition tour is a step forward," Melzer said. "Prize money has increased at tour level but it needs to increase at ITF level also. It’s not easy. They also need spectators, sponsors so we will see how that works out.”

Once the figurehead of Austrian tennis, Melzer’s place has irrefutably been replaced by Dominic Thiem, who reached the French Open semifinals for the third year running yesterday after a comfortable win against Alexander Zverev in Paris.

Melzer speaks highly of his compatriot, yet is keen to stress the influence of Thiem’s team and coach over any influence he personally had on Thiem’s surge up the rankings. “Obviously if you are the only one who has beaten Nadal in the last two years [on clay] then you have a shot at winning the French Open.”

While wishful for Thiem to win at Roland Garros, Melzer is realistic also: “I still have Nadal to win the French Open.”

Don’t worry Jurgen, everyone does.

Now obviously at the twilight of his career, Melzer simply has two wishes: to continue to play the sport he loves at a competitive level, and to support his 27-year old brother Gerald, current Austrian No. 2 and ranked No. 111 in the world.

“We are very close. It’s not easy to have an older brother who has done well in tennis because then we’re always compared," Jurgen said. "I wish him all the best.”