There are a surprising number of top national and international players in the tennis Bundesliga. Even though they obviously earn money there, it is not their primary motivation.
Gerald Marzenell is still in high spirits the day after. The 2:4 defeat in the men’s tennis Bundesliga against TC Augsburg on Sunday (July 14, 2024) did not particularly please the team captain of Grün-Weiss Mannheim. But it is only the third match day that has ended, with six more to follow until August 11.
Above all, a match day like this is always a special event on the spacious grounds in Mannheim, which the 60-year-old always looks forward to. “I’ve been doing this for 27 years as a player and as team captain. This is top-class tennis that you can touch,” Marzenell told Sportschau.
Several national and international top players
There is great interest. Around 2,100 spectators came to the match against Augsburg to experience top international tennis. Sometimes there are even up to 4,000 visitors at the venue.
Nowhere else can you get closer to the players, nowhere can you communicate with them more directly. “Sometimes I have to take them away from conversations with visitors and remind them that they have to go onto the pitch,” says Marzenell. Because even for the otherwise so isolated professionals, this is a new, mostly very positive experience.
Coach Gerald Marzenell from Grün Weiß Mannheim
After all, the Bundesliga is home to a large number of top national and international players that you would hardly expect to find there. The team list in Mannheim includes names such as Grand Slam winner Dominic Thiem and Davis Cup player Dominik Koepfer.
Bundesliga is unique
The reigning German champions TC Bredeney have, among others, the top German players Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann registered. The current No. 19 in the world, the Argentinian Sebastian Baez, and the No. 27, the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, play for Gladbacher HTC. This list of top players could easily be continued.
There is no league anywhere in the world that is as attractive as the Tennis Bundesliga; it is a unique German feature.
No comparison with tournament prizes
The top players were just playing on the noble grass courts at Wimbledon, and now they are back playing on the dusty clay courts of this republic.
Of course, the players are all professionals and want to earn money from their sport. “But over the years I have even seen Davis Cup players who didn’t want any money for it,” Marzenell reveals, without naming names. But that is the big exception.
On average, a player receives between 3,000 and 5,000 euros per match day. A decent income, but in comparison to the tournament prizes, it’s just small change.
A subsidized business
“The players all really enjoy coming and give their all on the court. Because they are individual athletes all year round and simply love to compete as a team,” says Marzenell. “That’s why they are highly motivated. We all grill together, we train together, we play together. It’s like a campfire moment for everyone,” says the former tennis pro.
The clubs are unlikely to earn any money with a men’s Bundesliga team, especially since the entrance fees are so low that they are hardly worth mentioning. In most cases, visitors only have to pay between ten and 20 euros to enjoy a whole day of top-class sport. The clubs’ budgets are between 200,000 and 400,000 euros – in individual cases perhaps even a little higher.
Advertising material for the club
Either the patronage of a tennis enthusiast or a pool of sponsors from various companies and private financiers regularly provide these sums. “We are very happy that so many regional and local companies are involved with us. Without them, it would not be possible,” says Marzenell.
The Tennis Bundesliga is not just an advertising tool for Grün-Weiss Mannheim to generate new members. “If we can get a few more people excited about tennis, then we have achieved a lot,” says Marzenell.
2024-07-15 18:44:14
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