Interview with Raphael Schmidt - co-organizer of the Mischa Zverev Club Tour and a TennisTravellerthrough and through

Like few others, Raphael Schmidt embodies the two core areas of our TennisTraveller – tennis and travel. As a Lufthansa pilot, he travels throughout Europe week after week and has been an avid tennis player since childhood. Tennis fascinates and engages him not only as an active team player but also in many different ways. Whether as youth coordinator at his club or as co-organizer of the Mischa Zverev Club Tour , Raphael's goal is to bring tennis to people and inspire them. And he achieves this perfectly and very successfully with Mischa Zverev, with whom he has been close friends for years, through the Club Tour. In this interview, we naturally talk about this event tour at German tennis clubs, but also about much more. A conversation with a TennisTraveller par excellence!

 As a Lufthansa pilot, you travel a lot in Europe. Does your racket always come with you, and do you also play tennis at your destinations?

If I know in advance that I have a longer stay, I sometimes bring my tennis racket. Especially if there are other tennis players in the crew. But often the stays are a bit too short for private tennis sessions. What I do more often is request my destinations (i.e., ask for them when planning my assignments) so that I can watch professional tournaments, for example in Paris, Rome, Madrid, London, or Monte Carlo.

 Your job brought you a very special tennis encounter with Mischa Zverev a few years ago. Tell us about it.

I completed my pilot training in January 2016. However, since there are often delays in hiring fully trained pilots in the aviation industry, I had to wait until November 2017 for my first cockpit position. During this time, I worked in the Lufthansa office and had the opportunity to process an interesting email from Mischa Zverev. He asked if he could try flying in an A320 simulator. As a tennis fan, I naturally seized the opportunity and answered the email, as well as giving him the simulator briefing. This led to a good friendship that continues to this day. Mischa is also a pilot and holds a pilot's license for small aircraft. Since then, we've shared stories from the worlds of aviation and tennis. 

 Since then, you've been a co-organizer of the Mischa Zverev Club Tour. What exactly is that, and what goal are you pursuing with this involvement?

The Mischa Zverev Club Tour started small in 2021 at my home club, TC Dehrn. As the club's youth coordinator, I wanted to give the members a little something special after the years of the pandemic, so I asked Mischa if he'd be interested in playing an exhibition match. Mischa immediately agreed, and we ended up putting together a small event with 450 spectators, food and drinks, music, and a big raffle. Both the club and Mischa enjoyed the event so much that it sparked the idea of ​​launching a nationwide club tour, bringing professional tennis to the people and their clubs. 

 What does it mean to you personally to be involved in tennis at the club and through the Club Tour?

Of course, I know that personal commitment alone can only achieve so much in the grand scheme of things, but I am still committed to promoting tennis – both at the grassroots and elite levels. As youth coordinator, I want to ensure that children play tennis with enthusiasm and that our youth teams develop positively. As organizer of the club tour, I am always delighted by how much Mischa can inspire and motivate the members of the clubs we visit. 

 Where did you spend your best tennis holiday, or where was the most beautiful tennis court for you?

I could name several amazing places. For my 30th birthday, my girlfriend and family gave me a week of training at the Rafa Nadal Academy – an incredible experience. I was impressed not only by the facilities and the professional coaches, but also by the authentic spirit and fighting spirit of Rafa. A particular highlight was that Rafa Nadal himself trained there and played on the court next to me.
Other impressive tennis facilities I've had the pleasure of visiting include the Monte Carlo Country Club in Monaco and the Corinthia St George's Bay in Malta, where we stay with our flight crew during layovers. They have a tennis court right by the sea – truly breathtaking.

 Is there a tennis destination where you would like to go on holiday or that you would absolutely like to visit?

Basically, I still want to visit many more tennis facilities – I love traveling and I love playing tennis – and I want to continue doing both for a long time. The Australian Open is still missing from my Grand Slam bucket list, and I want to tackle that very soon.
As for a dedicated tennis holiday, I would love to visit the Andreus Resort Sonnenalm in South Tyrol. We are very happy and grateful that we can offer this hotel to our club tour guests through a prize draw. When I looked into it a bit, especially to be able to tell the event attendees about it, I realized that I myself am already ready and eager for another tennis trip.

My interview with Raphael

Want to learn more about the Mischa Zverev Club Tour?

We will report on the Mischa Zverev Club Tour and our cooperation in a separate blog post.

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