BAD RAPPENAU, June 4, 2026
Dutchman Guy den Ouden has established himself as one of the rising names on the ATP Challenger Tour. The 24-year-old is currently ranked world No. 211 after reaching a best ranking of No. 147. A former Top 20 junior who reached the semifinals of the 2020 French Open boys’ event, den Ouden has steadily progressed through the professional ranks, capturing ATP Challenger titles in Dobrich, Bulgaria in 2024 and Porto, Portugal in 2025.
This season has already featured several milestones, including his first Davis Cup victory for the Netherlands against India and his maiden ATP 500 match win at his home tournament in Rotterdam. The Neckarcup also holds special memories for him. Last year, he reached the final in Bad Rappenau before finishing runner-up to Peru’s Ignacio Buse.
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Back in the quarterfinals this week, den Ouden feels almost at home in the region. His girlfriend Mia Mack, who comes from nearby Löchgau, once again accompanies him during the tournament, making the area a familiar base during his stay. Away from tennis, the Dutchman is a passionate football fan and admits that he follows his beloved Manchester United almost as closely as he follows the tennis tour.
We caught up with Guy den Ouden to talk about his season, his connection to Germany, life on the Challenger Tour, and his ambitions for the months ahead.
Question: It seems like playing in Bad Rappenau feels a bit like coming home for you.
Guy den Ouden: Yes, definitely. My girlfriend is from this area, so I’m staying with her family again this year. It’s actually exactly the same situation as last year. I stay there during the tournament and we drive to the club every day. That makes it feel a bit like a home match for me.
Last year you reached the final here. Does that give you extra confidence?
Of course, I have very good memories from last year. I played some great tennis and really enjoyed my time here. If it worked well last year, there’s no reason to change too much. But at the same time, I have to take it match by match. Hopefully I can have another good week.
Last year there was a lot of rain during the tournament, and the weather forecast looked similar this week.
Yes, when I saw the forecast, I immediately thought it might be a repeat of last year. Fortunately, today was beautiful. I was happy to get my match played. Tomorrow might be more difficult with the rain, but we’ll see.
Do these conditions suit your game?
I think so. Coming from the Netherlands, I’m used to similar weather conditions. Of course, when it’s very hot you have to adjust a little bit, but overall I feel comfortable in these kinds of conditions.
How is your German coming along?
It’s getting better, slowly. My girlfriend’s family is helping me. I understand quite a lot already, but speaking is still more difficult. I mostly speak English with my girlfriend, but it would be nice to improve my German, especially for conversations with her grandparents because they don’t really speak English. I’m trying, and it’s going well.
There have been some big football matches recently. Do you follow German football?
A little bit. Through my girlfriend’s family, I have a connection to SC Freiburg. When Freiburg played in the Euro League final, we watched the match together at my house in the Netherlands. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t the result she hoped for. But Freiburg is a great club.
And what about the Champions League final?
That was an incredible match. It was probably one of the best finals I’ve watched recently.
Alexander Zverev recently spoke about players checking tennis balls very carefully before serving. Are you someone who does that as well?
(Laughs) Not really. I’m actually quite bad at it. I usually just check whether the ball still looks reasonably new and then choose one. But I understand why players do it. Everyone is looking for small advantages and little routines that help them stay comfortable and focused.
So ideally, you would like to have every ball available for every serve?
Of course! If one ball gives you even a tiny extra advantage, why not? At this level, small details can sometimes make the difference.
Thanks for your time and good luck for the rest of the tournament.
Thank you very much.
