At a glance
- Laurin Heinrich and Nico Müller take a look behind the scenes at the world-class tournament in Stuttgart.
- The Porsche works drivers have a hit with Porsche Talent Team player Eva Bennemann and pick up some valuable tips.
- They are particularly taken by the atmosphere in the Porsche Arena and the interaction between the players and the fans.
Laurin Heinrich has made a flying start to the new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in the USA. Driving a Porsche 963, he won the famous endurance races in Daytona and Sebring. On his way to the next race in Long Beach, California, he made a short stopover in Stuttgart. The Swiss Nico Müller is racing this season for the Porsche works team in the ABB FIA Formular E World Championship. Speaking in the Porsche Arena Media Center, they talked about their eventful day at the tennis tournament.
Today, your gym was the tennis court. What was it like hitting with Eva Bennemann?
Laurin Heinrich: It was a special honour and a challenge for us to be able to play with Eva. She gave us some really good tips. I still need to work on my forehand, Nico on his backhand. But in the end, it actually went quite well.
Nico Müller: The last time I had a racket in my hand was about 15 years ago. But Eva took it easy on us. Somehow, the ball always seemed to land right in front of us.
What meeting Eva like one elite athlete meeting another?
Müller: It was an extremely interesting exchange of views. It’s a great opportunity to be able to talk to somebody like Eva who plays at the highest level in her sport. Tennis is not a part of our daily lives, so for us it’s fascinating to find out about her mindset and her approach. It perhaps also makes you look at your own sport from a completely different angle. For me, it was a really cool day.
Heinrich: I always find it interesting to talk to other elite athletes. Even if motorsport and tennis are different competition-wise, what they have in common is total dedication and living for the sport. That’s why I am interested to find out what it takes to reach the very top in tennis. You can certainly pick up things that may help you in your own sport.
It is your first visit to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. What are your impressions?
Müller: Super. Everything is organised so professionally, which comes as no surprise. The tournament director is after all Swiss. And then Swiss chocolate for dessert as well – it couldn’t get any better. But seriously, you sit right next to Centre Court and really feel what the players conjure up out there – the power, the precision, the concentration. It doesn’t come across like that on television at all. It’s what live sport is all about, it’s what always enthrals you, no matter what sport it is. Being able to experience everything was a privilege.
Heinrich: On the guided tour with Anke Huber, the Operating Tournament Director of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, we gained some interesting insights behind the scenes and tennis in general. I additionally particularly liked the fantastic electric atmosphere. I was also impressed by the way the players are introduced before their matches. They are deservedly presented to the spectators like film stars. Pretty cool. It’s something we in motorsport could perhaps also learn from.
Like the players, you also had a go at the Porsche Driving Challenge, the skills course with all its little perils. What was it like?
Müller: It was really funny. We’d have loved to have had a second go. But even so, it was great fun.
Heinrich: It’s always something special whenever racing drivers get together to take on such a challenge. The times the players posted were not bad at all. We went flat out and tried everything. It was a fun experience.
In tennis, split-second decisions alternate with tactical considerations. Do you see parallels with motorsport?
Heinrich: The pros on court, as I saw today, have to make decisions incredibly quickly and have to think ahead. They have to read the game, are always thinking about where to hit the next ball and what measures they have to take to beat their opponent. There are definitely parallels with motorsport. The only difference is that in an endurance race like Daytona, we have more than 50 opponents.
What similarities are there in the preparation?
Müller: Apart from the necessary fitness, we obviously study the strengths and weaknesses of our main rivals too. Unfortunately, outside race weekends we’re hardly ever in a car, we spend more time in a simulator. It’s where I envy tennis players as they can go out onto court every day and practice.
Porsche im Tennis
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is the flagship of the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG‘s worldwide involvement in women’s tennis. First played in 1978, the Stuttgart WTA tournament stands for tradition and innovation, just like the Porsche brand. As the most loyal sponsor of women’s international tennis, Porsche has accompanied the WTA’s oldest indoor event right from the start. Porsche has also been a premium partner of the “Deutsche Tennis Bund” (DTB – German Tennis Association) since 2012 and is committed to fostering up-and-coming players in the Porsche Talent Team.
