The Salzburg tennis professional wants to continue his rise this year. Early defeats like at the start of the season in South America and hate messages don’t throw him off track.
Four ATP points in three weeks – tennis professional Lukas Neumayer took home a lot of experience from South America. However, the Salzburger can also take positive things from the trip. The goals for 2024 remain unchanged: entry into the top 150, first title on the Challenger Tour and the premiere at Grand Slam level.
There was nothing but expenses – one is inclined to claim after just one victory in a total of three tournaments in Buenos Aires and Punta del Este (Uruguay). What was particularly annoying were the missed opportunities. “Of course I expected a lot more, but overall the performances were really good. It was all pretty unfortunate,” says Neumayer, who initially lost with match point in the round of 16 – and the 21-year-old was also missing in the first round defeat in the second tournament Radstädter only two points to victory.
How close the field is at Challenger level is shown by the fact that the Argentinian Facundo Bagnis, to whom Neumayer was once again defeated in three sets at the third tournament, now reached the final at the ATP tournament in Córdoba. “That’s how I know I’m capable of it. If I keep working like this, the results will come back.”
Challenger title and top 150
If he succeeds again this year – in 2023 Neumayer improved in the world rankings by around 100 places to currently 228 – then the year will bring several firsts. “I want to win my first Challenger tournament this year, place myself in the top 200, ideally in the top 150 and then also play the Grand Slam tournaments (in the qualification, note),” says Neumayer, who last year At the ATP Challenger in Salzburg, Sebastian Ofner was defeated in the final.
Neumayer is still accompanied by tour coach Gerald Kamitz, and in Austria he continues to train in the southern part of the city under the direction of Günter Bresnik. Dennis Novak and Joel Schwärzler, the red-white-red’s biggest young hope, are often training partners there.
Unfortunately, hate messages are “completely normal”
This week Neumayer starts in Antalya, then continues to Tenerife. He’s long since gotten used to life on tour – with all its positive and negative side effects. For example, hate messages that he receives in large numbers via social media from anonymous betting participants after every defeat. “Idiot”, “scammer” and “just stop” are the friendliest names and threats that Neumayer has recently made public. How does he deal with it? “Unfortunately that’s part of it, it’s now completely normal for a professional. It doesn’t affect me at all.”
2024-02-11 17:31:00