Players like Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges, Laura Siegemund, and Andrea Petkovic have had a decisive impact on German women’s tennis in recent years. While Julia Görges is the first player of this “golden generation” to retire, Germany’s up-and-coming players are already waiting in the wings.
Barbara Rittner, Head of Women’s Tennis at the German Tennis Federation (DTB), is convinced that numerous players currently being promoted in the Porsche Talent and Porsche Junior Teams can make the leap to the top. Established players like Laura Siegemund and Andrea Petkovic, who are well aware of the requirements for a successful career on the WTA Tour, also see the necessary skills in the young hopefuls: talent, ambition, and the will to constantly improve.
But what does it mean in everyday life to devote years to professional sports in order to realize one’s biggest dreams? DAZN provides insights with the documentary “Pathbreaking”.
Episode four of the DAZN documentary "Pathbreaking" follows Porsche Talent Team player Nastasja Schunk and Porsche Junior Team player Julia Middendorf at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The two german junior players secured a place in the main draw of the very well-staffed tournament via a wildcard in qualifying.
You can find out how the trip to Stuttgart went for them and the other German high hopes, how they perceived this highlight and how Head of Womens Tennis Barbara Rittner saw the performances in episode four.
Episode three of the DAZN documentary "Pathbreaking" follows the players of the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team on their way to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Alexandra Vecic, German champion Noma Noha Akugue, German runner-up Nastasja Schunk and Julia Middendorf have all received a wild card to qualify for the highly prestigious WTA 500 tournament. For the German talents this is a great chance to show and prove themselves on the big stage.
Julia Görges, the 2011 winner, reveals in an interview what makes the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix so special and what memories she has of the event. She also looks ahead to the tournament in 2021 and gives the young talents some valuable tips.
Porsche Talent and Junior Team players like Alexandra Vecic, Nastasja Schunk, Joëlle Steur, and Tea Lukic had certainly imagined 2020 differently. They wanted to travel the world, compete with the elite at national and international tournaments, and collect points for the WTA rankings. Such goals were difficult to pursue last year. However, that was no reason for the young talents to bury their heads in the sand –instead, they diligently honed their tennis prowess.
Episode two of the DAZN documentary “Pathbreaking” features Tea Lukic, who trains at the Piatti Tennis Center in Italy, and Joëlle Steur, the youngest German ITF doubles winner. Alexandra Vecic also looks back on her last tournament as a junior at the French Open 2020. Plus, there’ll be exciting guests: Porsche Team Germany captain Rainer Schüttler, DTB Head of Women’s Tennis Barbara Rittner, as well as coaches Torsten Popp and Sebastian Sachs.
In the first episode, the Porsche Talent players Nastasja Schunk and Alexandra Vecic take center stage, providing insights into their careers, their goals and dreams, and their everyday lives. “Pathbreaking” will accompany the players of the DTB junior teams as a recurring format in the coming years.