The Last Time… Jan-Lennard Struff
In the latest installment of our popular series, World No. 36 Jan-Lennard Struff reveals the last time…
I missed a flight?
It was a long time ago when I played one of my first Challengers on hard courts. I’m not sure when it was, [maybe] 2010 or 2011. I took the wrong train at an Italian Challenger somewhere close to Milan. In Germany, when you are on a train, you just have the name of the destination. There, it was where it started… In the end, I messed up and missed the flight.
I lost something important?
I had this necklace. I got it from some friends of Ben McLachlan when we were playing doubles. It was a green stone from New Zealand and I really liked that. I was on a plane going back from the US Open last year and when I had my little boy on my arm, he was trying to take the necklace and rip it off. I took it off, put it on a seat and when we left the plane I left it. It was so tough, because I liked that one a lot.
I strung a tennis racquet?
Maybe 10 to 15 years ago, when I tried to find out how to string a tennis racquet. My father had a machine back at his tennis facility and I used to string some racquets of mine. It took me like 35 minutes… I don’t know if I could make it now. I think I could make it, but I need to work on that.
I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
I was on my way back from Australia three or four years ago and I was on the same flight as Borussia Dortmund, my favourite team. They were just with Thomas Tuchel in Dubai on winter break training. They were on the same flight, so I asked some players for a picture. [I asked] Marco Reus and a few other players on the plane.
I went to a music concert?
A long time ago, I never attended too many. It was a really long time ago when I played the German team matches five or six years ago. We won the German championship and the same day there was a concert. We used to play in Halle where the tournament is… inside there was a James Blunt concert on the same evening. The whole team just went there. We had a great night and a party after at a club.
I watched a new TV series?
I was [recently] watching Mindhunter on Netflix. Before [that] I was watching 24 and I am just looking for something now. The bubble life is tough. I am reading sometimes and just trying to find new movies.
I attended another sports event live?
It was the match before the lockdown came in March. Borussia Dortmund [played] against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League. It was between Rotterdam and Dubai and after that, they shut down pretty soon. I like to go to Dortmund matches. I live 50 minutes from the stadium, so it is easy.
I made my debut at an ATP Tour event?
It was Cologne [this year]. It was very nice there for this new tournament. Before that, it was Adelaide, [another] new event. ATP Cup was a new event, too.
I met a childhood idol?
[This year] at breakfast [with] Rafa. We talked about Borussia Dortmund just for two minutes.
I shared a hotel room with another player?
That is a really long time ago… I shared a room with Dustin Brown in 2015 in Casablanca. We shared a room and my coach took my room to have less expenses.