Challenger Corner: Hello Patrick! Last week, your LTP Academy hosted a Challenger tournament. How would you summarize the event?

Patrick Hieber: It was the third time we’ve hosted an ATP Challenger Tour 75 event, and we had a very strong field. From an American perspective, we saw some big names, most notably Chris Eubanks, last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalist, and JJ Wolf, who is very popular here in the U.S. Denis Kudla, Bernard Tomic, and Dominic Stricker were also in the lineup. This attractive field helped us achieve a nearly full house almost every day.

How many spectators attended the event?

We had about 400 to 500 people per day, which is a solid turnout for us. The region around Charleston is quite spoiled when it comes to high-level tennis.

It seems that to make a Challenger tournament stand out, several things need to be done?

We also organize a WTA 500 tournament in Charleston, which attracts over 100,000 visitors each year. The Credit One Charleston Open is the largest all-women’s tournament in the United States and one of the most popular on the tour. Additionally, we host several ITF World Tennis Tour W100 events, where top 100 players like Madison Brengle and Taylor Townsend reach the finals.

You’re German but work at the LTP Academy. Could you briefly explain how you ended up in South Carolina?

I’ll keep it brief, but there were many factors involved. In 1995, I was an exchange student in the U.S. Back in Germany, I played tennis at a national level—Hessenliga, Baden-Liga, and Oberliga. My level wasn’t high enough to make a living from it, but it was enough to understand the game well. I earned several coaching licenses and always had ties to the U.S. Eventually, I got the opportunity to help build an academy here, which led to two facilities. We started with a 15K event, and now we host up to 14 professional tournaments annually. We organize the Cincinnati Open, one of the biggest tournaments in the world, as well as the WTA 500 Charleston Open. I’m the tournament director for two WTA 125 events and the ATP Challenger Tour event. I also run the USTA Girls 18 National Championships, and we have a tennis academy with about 200 kids and 20 coaches. Tennis is my life now, and I’ve been working with Emma Navarro for about eight years, which was one of the reasons I originally came to Charleston.

Can you tell us more about the philosophy of the LTP Academy?

The Navarro family, who owns the academy, and their company BEEMOK, believe in tennis as a tool for personal development. They also see academic value in it. We run a school alongside the academy, and the discipline required on the court aligns with that in the classroom. As a result, many of our kids have gone on to attend some of the best colleges in the United States.

Is this also supported by the fact that sports, particularly tennis, are valued more in the U.S. compared to Europe?

Definitely. It’s much easier to balance tennis and school here, and there’s greater recognition of tennis coaches in general.

What goals do the children have when they come to your academy?

There are different levels. Some kids just want to try tennis alongside other sports, and we work with them once or twice a week. It’s important to make it fun while also providing a solid foundation. We emphasize coordination and tailor our teaching methods to their level. We also have a high-performance program where kids train more than four times a week, and then there’s the full-time academy where they also attend school here. We don’t usually talk about becoming a “pro” until much later. Everything is designed to help each child become the best they can be, and most of them dream of playing college tennis.

How do you finance the Challenger event?

We’re fortunate to make profits from our larger tournaments, while on the Challenger level, the goal is more to break even. We reinvest those profits into smaller events. Each tournament has its own budget, and we work with larger sponsors who don’t just focus on the big events but also look for visibility at the Challenger level. This allows us to create a package that connects the events easily. Additionally, we’re part of the USTA Pro Circuit, where part of the costs is covered by the association.

It seems like it’s easier to attract local players to the tournament as well.

That’s part of the USTA’s strategy to host more tournaments within the U.S., to help develop local players. It’s been very successful. Having more opportunities to play at home and awarding a few wild cards is much better than having to grind through weeks of Futures tournaments in places like Monastir (Tunisia) or Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt).

This year’s tournament was won by an interesting young player, Edas Butvilas from Lithuania, a former top 10 junior. What was your impression of him this week?

I spent a lot of time with Edas and his coach, Ivan Navarro. He started in the qualifiers but lost in the second round. However, as a lucky loser, he made it into the main draw, went on a great run, and played fantastic tennis.

Is there a U.S. talent that might be flying under the radar in Europe?

Learner Tien has already gained some attention, but his story is great. He finished high school at 16, which shows he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s very disciplined and stands out for his clean ball striking, which not many players have. If he continues to develop physically, we’ll definitely be hearing more from him.

Let’s talk about Emma Navarro. She had her breakthrough last year, winning several ITF World Tennis Tour titles. When did you first notice her talent?

I first hit with Emma about eight years ago. At that time, you wouldn’t have said, “Wow, she has an amazing forehand or is super athletic,” like you might with a young Sharapova. But Emma’s biggest talent is her discipline and problem-solving ability. We’ve never had a bad training session. Of course, she has ups and downs like any player, but she never dwells on mistakes or trains without enthusiasm. She’s the most disciplined person I’ve ever met, with a joy and warmth toward those around her. Her drive to see how good she can become in the sport she loves is remarkable. I knew eight years ago that she could make it into the top 100. Her secret is that she improves a little bit every day, which may not seem like much, but over time, it’s incredibly powerful.

What’s next for her in the coming weeks?

Emma received a wild card for the tournament in Hong Kong and will follow that up by playing at the Masters in Wuhan. She’s also still in the race for the WTA Finals. Considering we started the 2023 season playing ITF W25 tournaments, it’s pretty crazy, but of course, we’re very proud.

We wish you continued success and all the best.