PublishedJuly 14, 2024, 04:50
ATP Gstaad“Always funny”: Girlfriend helped Swiss tennis ace through suffering
Dominic Stricker recently returned following a long injury break. Before the home tournament in Gstaad, he spent 20 minutes discussing his recovery, his current form, and his future aspirations.
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Dominic Stricker (ATP 149) is facing two home tournaments in Gstaad and Zug.
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Before the tournament in Gstaad, the Swiss tennis professional spent 20 minutes discussing his long break, his form and his goals.
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The 21-year-old from Bern had to take a long break before the grass season due to back problems.
Dominic Stricker, you recently made your comeback at the grass tournaments following a long injury break. How are you feeling?
Physically, I’m feeling fine once more. On the court, it’s still a challenge following six months without matches. Everything feels a bit strange, but it’s getting better every week. Training is becoming more normal, more natural. That’s why I think it won’t be long before I start playing well in matches once more.
You struggled with back problems for a long time at the beginning of the year. Do those issues still bother you on the tennis court?
Not at all. Initially, I was aware of it during the first few matches, but it’s fine now. I have no complaints.
How did you cope with those difficult periods?
It’s important for me to switch off sometimes, whether it’s spending time with my family or on the golf course.
We read that you cooked a lot during your injury period. What’s your favorite recipe?
It’s hard to say. I don’t really have a favorite recipe, I simply cook whatever I have available. My girlfriend and I often cook together, which is always fun.
How important is the topic of nutrition for you?
Nutrition is definitely very important. I’ve become much more professional in this area. It definitely helps me a lot. My physiotherapists and my trainer always keep an eye on it, and that’s a good thing.
You are now competing in your home tournament in Gstaad. How excited are you?
It’s always amazing to come here. Gstaad is right on my doorstep and is something special for me.
You won the doubles tournament in Gstaad with Wawrinka last year. Why are you playing with Félix Auger-Aliassime this year?
Stan decided not to play doubles here. Then Félix reached out, which was also great for me.
The Gstaad field is arguably stronger than ever this year, partly due to the Olympics. When did you realize that the Olympics were not going to be possible for you?
The longer the injury lasted, the more obvious it became. You need a certain ranking to qualify for the Olympics, and I was injured for too long to maintain that. Of course, it’s a shame, but the next games are in four years. I’ll do everything I can to be there then.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the top player once morest whom you achieved your biggest victory to date at the 2023 US Open, will be playing in Gstaad.
Yes, that was a match I will never forget. I still think regarding it from time to time or watch videos from back then. It would be incredible to play once morest him once more here in Gstaad.
You look fitter than ever before. What is your fitness secret?
Well, I had six months to work on it (laughs). I mightn’t play tennis for a long time, so I basically had to do something in the gym. Now the goal is to maintain this level of fitness.
Despite your injury break, you were almost omnipresent for TV viewers with your advertising appearances at tennis matches. Do you get any feedback on that?
Yes, I get comments from time to time, especially from colleagues. But I think it’s really cool, just like the advert itself.
Are you worried regarding having to defend a lot of world ranking points at the US Open?
It’s in the back of your mind, but it’s not my main focus. I’m just happy to be playing once more. I’m sure I’ll earn those points back somewhere, whether it’s in New York or elsewhere.
What are your next goals in the medium term?
By the end of the season, I need to get back to my old level before the injury. I don’t have a specific ranking goal. In 2025, I’ll have half a year where I won’t have anything to defend, so I can aim for the top 100.
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PublishedJuly 14, 2024, 04:50
ATP Gstaad“Always funny”: Girlfriend helped Swiss tennis ace through suffering
Dominic Stricker recently returned following a long injury break. Before the home tournament in Gstaad, he explains for 20 minutes how he found his way out of the slump and what his next goals are.
von
-
Dominic Stricker (ATP 149) is facing two home tournaments in Gstaad and Zug.
-
Before the tournament in Gstaad, the Swiss tennis professional took 20 minutes to talk regarding his long break, his form and his goals.
-
The 21-year-old from Bern had to take a long break before the grass season due to back problems.
Dominic Stricker, following a long injury break you recently made your comeback at the grass tournaments. How are you?
Physically, everything is fine once more. On the pitch, it is still difficult following six months without matches. Everything is a bit strange, but it is getting better week by week. In training, everything is becoming more normal, more natural. That is why I think it won’t be long before things start working out once more in matches.
You struggled with back problems for a long time at the beginning of the year. Do you still notice them when you are on the tennis court?
Not anymore. At the beginning I had that in the back of my mind during the first few matches, but now it’s fine once more. I have no more complaints.
How did you deal with these difficult phases?
It’s important for me to be able to switch off sometimes. Be it with my family or on the golf course.
We read that you cooked a lot during your injury period. What is your favorite recipe?
It’s difficult to say. I don’t really have a favorite recipe, I just cook something with whatever ingredients I have. My girlfriend and I often cook together, which is always fun.
How important is the topic of nutrition for you?
It is certainly always important. It is certainly a huge issue and I have become much more professional in this area. That certainly helps me a lot. My physiotherapists and my trainer always keep an eye on it and that is a good thing.
You are now competing in your home tournament in Gstaad. How excited are you?
It’s always great to come here. Gstaad is right on my doorstep and something special for me.
Last year you won the doubles tournament in Gstaad with Wawrinka. Why are you playing with Félix Auger-Aliassime this year?
Stan decided not to play doubles here. Then came the request from Félix, which is also great for me.
In Gstaad, the field of participants is probably as high-caliber as ever, partly because of the Olympics. When did you realize that the Olympics were not going to work out for you?
The longer the injury lasted, the clearer it became. You need a certain ranking for the Olympics and I was injured for too long to be able to maintain that. It’s a shame, of course, but the next games are in four years. I will do everything I can to be there then.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the top player once morest whom you achieved your biggest victory to date at the 2023 US Open, will be playing in Gstaad.
Yes, of course, that was a match I will never forget. I still think regarding it now and then or watch videos from back then. It would definitely be amazing to be able to play once morest him once more here in Gstaad.
You look fitter than ever before. What is your fitness secret?
I also had six months to work on it (laughs). I mightn’t play tennis for a long time, so of course you almost had to do something in the gym. Now the goal is to be able to maintain this level of fitness.
Despite your injury break, you were almost omnipresent for TV viewers with your advertising appearances at tennis matches. Do you get any feedback on that?
Yes, of course, I get comments from time to time, especially from colleagues. But I think it’s really cool, just like the advert itself.
Are you worried that you will soon have to defend a lot of world ranking points at the US Open?
It’s in the back of your mind, but it’s not the main focus. I’m just happy to be able to play once more. I’m sure I’ll get my points once more somewhere. Whether it’s in New York or somewhere else.
What are your next goals in the medium term?
By the end of the season, I need to get back to my old level before the injury. I don’t have a specific goal in terms of ranking. In 2025, I’ll have half a year where I won’t have anything to defend and can attack the top 100.
20 Minuten Fantasy League
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Immerse yourself in the world of the new fantasy game from 20 minutes! Put together your own dream team, prove your football knowledge and fight for the top of the rankings. Whether you are a passionate football fan or a fantasy gaming enthusiast – the 20 minutes Fantasy League is for you!
Whether you win or lose is decided by the players’ real performance and your line-up. For example, you get extra points for goals and deductions for red cards. The aim is to be the most successful manager possible. And there are cool prizes to be won every month.