STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 26, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)
Jule Niemeier knows firsthand that if she doesn’t play up to her potential, there’s a palpable pressure that will build up inside her mind and body. Not to worry, though.
“Oh, it’s totally normal,” the 23-year-old rising German star from Dortmund admitted on the eve of her first-round match against reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last week.
As it happened, Niemeier lost to the World No. 7 from Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-3, who outplayed her and proved to be the better and more-experienced competitor. However, Niemeier said that despite not winning a WTA Tour singles match since February – a losing streak that stretched to seven matches with her Stuttgart set back – she wasn’t in a nervous frame of mind. The former junior prodigy even gave the Stuttgart audience quite a thrill by hitting a beautiful tweener, which Rybakina praised her for in her on-court interview.
“I think Jule played really well today, especially the tweener, it was really nice from her,” she said.
Jule with the TWEENER 🤟
Niemeier giving the Stuttgart crowd a show!#PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/KksxElbamR
— wta (@WTA) April 19, 2023
“When you come to Stuttgart, then you know what’s awaiting you. There are no easy opponents here. Therefore, it doesn’t matter who you are up against – whether it’s Rybakina or any other player for that matter,” said Niemeier, who was one of three Germans in the 28-player draw.
The weekend leading up to the Porsche Grand Prix, while competing on the same Porsche Arena indoor clay court, Niemeier pulled out a solid victory over World No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil in Germany’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers tie. Germany would go on to win the tie 3-1, which advanced them to the group finals later this year.
“The weekend with the girls is always lots of fun,” Niemeier said. “I’m all the more happy I was able to help the team and to have kicked off the clay court season with a win. …
“For me personally, the Billie Jean King Cup weekend was naturally brilliant because I won my singles to contribute a point to the team’s win.”
Come for the smiles, stay for the surprise shower 🤣#BJKCup | @DTB_Tennis pic.twitter.com/BXQrtefoEu
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 15, 2023
A year ago, Niemeier began a clay-court run at the ITF level that lifted her into the Top 100. Now, she is eager to build upon what she started.
“I’m really looking forward to everything,” said Niemeier, who reached last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals in her first major main draw. In 2021, she was a semifinalist on clay at Strasbourg, in a French Open tune-up.
In fact, thanks to her solid 2022 season, in which she compiled 39-21 win-loss record in all competitions and secured her first Top-10 triumph against then-World No. 3 Anett Kontaveit at Wimbledon, Niemeier rose to become the German No. 1. Ranked No. 65 in the world the week of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she has gone back and forth with fellow German Tatjana Maria for the top ranking in Germany while longtime German No. 1 Angelique Kerber is away on maternity leave.
“I don’t really care about it much,” Niemeier said. “In one week, Tatjana is on top and then I’m in front of her again – it doesn’t do me much personally. Every player ultimately plays for themselves. Obviously, it’s nice to be the No. 1 but that’s all really.”
Now ranked No. 67 following the loss to Rybakina – one place below Maria, who reached the second round in Stuttgart – Niemeier arguably played her best match of the season in garnering a much-needed 6-4, 6-2 first-round victory over No. 60 Wang Xinyu of China in her debut at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open Tuesday afternoon on Manolo Santana Stadium. In was her seventh career Top-100 win and snapped a four-match tour-level losing streak on clay.
🚀
The first @WTA main draw victory in 2023 goes to 🇩🇪Jule Niemeier (d. Wang 6-4, 6-2).#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/GjZFzdPSkG
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 25, 2023
With a hefty serve and easy power off her forehand side on display, Niemeier struck three aces, hit 20 winners and converted five of nine break-point chances. Her aggressive play led to Wang hitting 21 unforced errors and Niemeier outpointed her opponent 67-49. She secured match point with a backhand slice that clipped the net and dropped in front of Wang. Suddenly, after an hour and 27 minutes, the winning feeling was back for Niemeier. While she claimed a bit of luck at the end, it was much deserved after enduring the past few difficult months.
On Thursday, Niemeier will face World No. 10 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, who is appearing in her 100th WTA 1000 event. She will take a 1-3 record against Top-10 players in the past year into the match, which – no doubt – will make Niemeier the underdog against the two-time Wimbledon champion. However, her philosophy and approach remains simple and upbeat.
“I’ll simply try to play my game, work on my things and then hope everything will end positively,” Niemeier said. A tattoo of a mountain with the word “Perseverance” beneath it on her left left arm serves as a reminder of the work Niemeier has done and the obstacles she has overcome – and what she still hopes to achieve.
