After a stellar end to 2017 and a breakthrough performance at this year’s Australian Open, Maximilian Marterer looks set to be the next German tennis star to break through on the ATP World Tour.
The 22-year-old German won 21 of his 23 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour in September and October to secure three titles, before announcing himself on the world stage with a run to the third round at this year’s Australian Open.
Currently at a career-high No. 82 in the ATP Rankings, Marterer made his intentions clear when asked, ahead of his first-round match against Malek Jaziri at this week’s Diema Xtra Sofia Open, whether he had any goals after breaking into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings late last year.
“I think [setting goals] should never stop,” said Marterer. “The next goal is, at the end of this year, to get to the Top 50.”
The determined left-hander is the second-youngest of eight German players currently in the Top 100 and, as one of the emerging stars in a leading tennis nation, has the benefit of a wealth of experienced compatriots to seek advice from when practising at home in Bavaria.
“We are always practising together so it is good to have them around and get advice from them. There are many experienced players like Florian Mayer and also sometimes Philipp Kohlschreiber there working with us. They are world-class players and have been in the business a long time, so it is good to have them around you,” said Marterer.
Marterer won his first two tour-level matches at the Australian Open last month, with a strong win over fellow German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe before taking out 2009 semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco in a thrilling five-set triumph.
The run came to an end at the hands of fellow breakout star Tennys Sandgren in the third round, but Marterer had plenty of reasons to feel confident that his week in Melbourne was the start of a successful career on the ATP World Tour.
“It was very special for me to get the wins in a Grand Slam,” reflected Marterer. “I think I found a good way of playing my game in these matches and how to win the points.
“I played a really strong match; especially in the fifth set [against Verdasco]. The conditions were really tough, on one of the hottest days of the two weeks, so in the end I was really, really happy to win that match. It was great to see that physically I am fit for five sets against such a top player.”
That confidence and knowledge, gained in Melbourne, looks likely to help Marterer as he continues his quest to end the year inside the world's Top 50. Next stop: Sofia.