The name of former tennis player Barbara Rittner is closely associated with the successes of Angelique Kerber’s successor generation. Now her time with the German Tennis Federation is coming to an end
After almost two decades, the former long-time Fed Cup captain and former women’s head coach Barbara Rittner (50) is no longer working for the German Tennis Federation (DTB).
“Due to different ideas about future cooperation”, the DTB announced that it had decided to go their separate ways after several discussions. Rittner’s contract therefore expired in February.
“Barbara, you did a great job!!!”, commented German tennis icon Boris Becker, former head of the DTB, on Instagram: “The DTB will still miss you…”
From the association’s point of view, it is now time to “take a different, new path”, as DTB Vice President Helmut Schmidbauer said. He praised: “She has achieved extraordinary things in her time at the DTB and was jointly responsible for the great successes of the Golden Generation around Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Görges, Sabine Lisicki and Anna-Lena Grönefeld.” The DTB does not yet have a successor.
The former professional player has been national coach since 2009 and was in charge of the German women’s team as Fed Cup captain between 2005 and 2017. In 2014, she led the team to the final in Prague; the competition is now called the Billie Jean King Cup. In 2017, Rittner was promoted to Head of Women’s Tennis at the DTB.
“I am proud of the many players we have supported on their way to the top during this time and of the successes we have been able to celebrate with them. But now is the right time for a change,” said the 50-year-old.
