Justin Engel is causing more and more of a stir in the tennis scene. Now the German Tennis Association’s talent has won his first ATP match.
Justin Engel spread his arms in celebration and couldn’t believe it himself. “It’s incredible. To win an ATP match at 17 is the best feeling I can imagine. I have no words,” said the up-and-coming tennis talent from Nuremberg, who is causing more and more of a stir.
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 world’s 458th-ranked player after his 7-5, 6-4 first-round victory over Coleman Wong of Hong Kong (ATP-133). He is getting more and more used to the high altitude of professional tennis.
Role models Nadal and Djokovic
Engel wants to go far and takes the big stars as his role models. “I admire Rafael Nadal, the way he presents himself on the court, how he pushes himself, how he fights,” the right-hander said in a recent DTB interview: “I can identify with that. I’m also a fighter on the court and I do everything I can to win.”
On the other hand, he says he could learn a thing or two from Novak Djokovic, the record-holding Grand Slam champion, when it comes to nutrition. And: “I would love to train with Djokovic to see what the pace is like and what it’s like to play points against him.”
Engel is one of Germany’s most promising tennis talents
In Almaty, Engel, who is allowed to participate with a wildcard, will now get a feel for how strong the elite is. His next opponent in the round of 16 on Thursday is Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina, who is ranked 31st in the world and is the fourth seed.
Engel, who is one of the greatest talents in German tennis, had already won four junior tournaments of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) this year.
In addition, he caused a stir at the end of September by reaching the quarterfinals at the ATP Challenger tournament in Villena, Spain. Now he is also leaving his first footprints at the ATP level.