Justin Engel spread his arms in celebration and couldn’t believe it himself. “It’s unbelievable. Winning an ATP match at 17 is the best feeling I can imagine. I have no words,” said the aspiring tennis talent from Nuremberg, who is increasingly causing a sensation. In Almaty, Kazakhstan, Engel became the youngest winner of a tour match since Carlos Alcaraz in 2020. “I love playing here, that’s why I won,” said the 458th in the world rankings after the 7:5, 6:4 first round win against Coleman Wong from Hong Kong (ATP 133rd).
Engel wants to go far and takes the greats as role models. “I admire Rafael Nadal, the way he presents himself on the court, the way he pushes himself, the way he fights,” the right-hander recently said in an interview with the German Tennis Federation: “I can identify with that. I’m also the type of fighter on the court and do everything I can to win.” He could learn something from Novak Djokovic, the Grand Slam record winner, when it comes to nutrition. And: “I would like to train with Djokovic to see what the pace is like and what it is like to play points against him.”
In Almaty, Engel, who is allowed to take part with a wild card, will now get a feel for how strong the elite are. His next opponent in the round of 16 is Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina, ranked 31st in the world. is set at position four. Engel, who is one of the greatest talents in German tennis, had already won four International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tournaments this year. He also caused a stir at the end of September by reaching the quarterfinals at the ATP Challenger tournament in Villena, Spain.
