2023-04-19 15:27:51
“For me it was the biggest win of my career so far. An inhuman feeling!”
The Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard (29) celebrated on Tuesday at the BMW Open the biggest win of his career. After the 7: 5, 7: 5 in the 1st round once morest Jan-Lennard Struff (32 / ATP No. 64), he jerked his right arm up. But he almost lost his batting arm eight years ago…
After his victory in Munich speaks the 209th of Tennis-Welt in BILD regarding his horror injury!
Sand instead of asphalt DTM brothers duel on the tennis court
Ritschard (three NCAA titles in four years at the University of Virginia): “I’m born defective, my first rib is a little too tight. At the age of 22, it became critical: it completely closed my main artery and veins.”
The Dramatic Story: “When I was in the gym at college in the US, I suddenly felt a pain in my right shoulder. My arm swelled – four times as much. No more blood flow in the right arm! In addition, my lungs collapsed, they were filled with blood that had to be pumped out. It was horrible!”
Alexander Ritschard (right) in conversation with BILD reporter David Verhoff
Suddenly it wasn’t just his career that was at stake, says the Swiss: “It was a shock! Ten minutes following I woke up, the doctors told me: five minutes later and we would have had to amputate the arm!”
His batting arm might be saved. The artery has been opened. But Ritschard did not heed medical advice…
The 1.93 meter giant admits: “It was actually stupid that I then flew home to Switzerland. I shouldn’t fly if I have a circulatory disorder. But I wanted to go to my family and I was insured in Switzerland. I was then operated on there.”
In one of the three operations, a blood vessel implant was inserted into the main artery!
Ritschard: “I have a stent so that the area remains open and the blood flows. It is a special stent that grows into the tissue. I actually wanted to give up the sport. You shouldn’t be able to do more than 90 minutes a day. I was scared of what would happen if I played tennis four hours a day. Because if the artery ruptures, the arm would still have to be amputated.”
Then the winner of the 2022 Challenger tournament in Hamburg fought back in his home country: “In Switzerland, the doctors said to me: ‘Wait eight months and see whether the stent has successfully grown into the tissue, do the rehab and protect your arm’. Then we did a lot of research. After regarding nine months it worked once more.”
In the meantime, Ritschard is even symptom-free: “I don’t notice anything anymore. The doctors did a great job. But they also told me that I won like a lottery!”
He managed to win once morest arm amputation. On the ATP tour (best place 170) he has not had a big breakthrough so far – apart from qualifying for Wimbledon and the US Open 2022.
Ritschard: “The reason I’m still playing is that I believe I have what it takes to get into the top 100. But I haven’t been able to show that consistently enough in my matches so far. I’m 29 but feel very fit and believe in the top 100!”
At the BMW Open, the Swiss will meet Marcos Giron (29/ATP No. 68) in the second round on Thursday. He knows the US boy from his college days.
Ritschard clearly formulates his goal in Munich: “When I was 15, I won the Junior Cup here. I’m aiming for tournament victory now!”
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