“Keep Going!” – Struff delights young reporters at kids press conference

What’s it like to be a journalist for a day and ask an ATP star all the questions you’ve always wanted to ask? On Sunday at the BOSS OPEN, a group of young tennis fans got exactly that opportunity. As part of Kids Day, fan favorite Jan-Lennard Struff joined the junior reporters in the Media Centre and provided plenty of entertaining and inspiring answers.

From his toughest opponents and childhood idols to what it takes to become a professional tennis player, the kids made the most of the opportunity and asked the German crowd favorite everything they wanted to know.

The room listened particularly closely when Struff shared some advice with the young audience. “I was never the best and never the most talented player when I was a kid,” the 35-year-old explained. What mattered most, he said, was that he enjoyed playing tennis and was willing to work hard. His message was clear: it is possible to achieve great things even if others seem better at the beginning.

Naturally, the conversation also touched on Struff’s own journey in tennis. He first picked up a racket at the age of six – hardly surprising given that both of his parents are tennis coaches. Until the age of 12 or 13, however, he also played football before eventually deciding to focus entirely on tennis.

One of the funniest moments came when the children asked about his sporting heroes. Struff mentioned Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Lleyton Hewitt before jokingly asking the young reporters: “Do you even know who Pete Sampras is?” He also recalled receiving an autograph from Boris Becker at a team event in Düsseldorf when he was ten years old – a memory that has stayed with him ever since.

The youngsters were also curious about life away from the court. Asked about his favorite food, Struff admitted that pizza ranks very high on his list – although he joked that his coach probably would not approve if he ate it before every match. Still, he believes there is room for the occasional treat as long as you generally maintain a healthy diet.

The most heartfelt answer came at the end. When asked what matters most to him besides tennis, Struff did not hesitate: his family. “The most enjoyable thing for me is spending time with my family and my children,” said the German, whose own kids are also in Stuttgart during the BOSS OPEN this week.