Anyone who decides to return to the professional tennis tour at almost 40 is either in the throes of a midlife crisis or wants to fulfill a seemingly absurd (life) dream. It was probably a combination of both that motivated Felix Hutt to go in pursuit of a world ranking point in 2018. His dream was to be listed in the ATP men's world rankings.
The brilliant idea came to Felix Hutt in 2017 while on holiday in South Africa, watching the legendary Australian Open final between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. Why should only Roger Federer, at his advanced age for a tennis player, still be able to compete on the ATP Tour? Why shouldn't he be able to do it too? He, who had played quite successfully in his youth, but never quite made the "breakthrough" to a professional career.
For the Munich-based journalist, the step from idea to implementation was short. A suitable training team was quickly found, and a training plan was drawn up. Hard work on the court was the order of the day instead of leisurely sipping a cold Augustiner beer in a beer garden. Early morning jogs replaced evening roast pork. From an aging "armchair tennis hero" with a slight beer belly to a meticulous tennis worker . For this, "Huttinger" has my utmost respect!
Felix Knochen's tour, following his single world ranking point, took him to Futures tournaments in Sardinia, South Africa, Pakistan, Cambodia, Israel, and Uganda. "Bush points" were supposedly easier to obtain at particularly exotic tournament locations. Hutt describes each stop on his tournament journey with plenty of wit, candor, a wonderful dose of self-irony, and convincing honesty. He describes the different types of tournament directors, the varying course layouts, tournament atmospheres, and matches.
The book offers a brief but interesting glimpse into the world of a professional tennis player on tour , a world that has absolutely nothing to do with luxury and jet-setting. It's a world where virtually every player has to figure out how to finance their next trip. A parallel tournament world where third-tier tennis pros compete, including many up-and-coming talents who could have been Hutt's sons. And also those players who simply couldn't make the leap. A tour life characterized by a monotonous and tedious daily routine, leaving little room for anything other than tennis. But of course, it also brought with it many wonderful and surprising encounters with coaches, players, and locals.
Whether Felix Hutt managed to make it onto the world ranking list at the end of his "Lucky Loser" journey will not be revealed here – just read the book yourself!
What Huttinger has achieved, however, is to write a truly wonderful and fantastically readable book. Personally, he has certainly fulfilled a dream, bringing to a close a story that was still unfinished for him. In that sense, the book, in my opinion, has a misleading title – it should be called "Lucky Winner." Because everyone who fulfills a lifelong dream, regardless of age or how impossible it may seem, has won in their own personal way.
Anyone infected with the tennis bug will devour this book. It was a fantastic holiday read for our tennis-loving family, quickly passing through the hands of several enthusiastic tennis players. Regardless of age, whether hobbyist or junior tournament player – everyone will be inspired by this tennis book and this very special tennis story, no matter their approach.
Key Facts:
239 pages
Publisher: Ullstein extra
Price: €14.99
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