Interview with ex-professional

Koubek: “We can’t let old people win!”

Stefan Koubek(Bild: GEPA pictures)

At the age of 15, Stefan Koubek left his Carinthian home for Vienna, from where he conquered the international tennis world. During his active career, Austria's current Davis Cup captain was even among the top 20 in the world rankings. On Saturday and Sunday, he will be training in Villach Warmbad on the initiative of the Carinthian Association with 30 talented players aged 9 to 16.

"Krone": Stefan, from your home in Vienna to the Carinthian tennis courts. What can we expect from the Carinthian Association's youth training session this weekend at Warmbad Villach?
Stefan Koubek: Vice President Tine Thaler asked me if I wanted to be there - and I was delighted when he called. We used to travel to tournaments together on the bus when we were young tennis players. Now I'm there as a kind of treat, I want to pass on tips to the kids and answer their parents' questions.

(Bild: Kuess)

How do you work with young tennis players properly and successfully?
In the past, the community was always the most important thing - even though you end up standing alone on the court. Not all children have to become professionals. If you take a sport seriously, you automatically take something with you for life.

You have to have rough edges. It's often good to be a bit of a disruptive factor - I know that from my own youth.

Stefan KOUBEK, Ex-Tennis-Profi

How do you recognize real tennis talent?
You can tell not only by the ball and racket coordination on the court, but also by the character. You can't find that out in a weekend anyway, but you can definitely tell whether someone has what it takes for more. It's also often important - and I'm talking about my own time as a beginner - to be a disruptive factor. In individual sport, you have to have rough edges.

What role do parents play in your development?
You can't do anything without them, that's clear anyway. They support you right from the start and have to give a lot in return. But it's also easy to overdo it if you put too much pressure on the child - it quickly goes in the other direction and the career ends early.

Is it possible to pursue an international career from Carinthia or do you need an academy like Günter Bresnik's in Vienna or even abroad?
Unfortunately, it's difficult in Carinthia at the moment! Youth work is only just starting to pick up again - that takes time. But measures like the association training this weekend are a good start. I'm happy to contribute my ideas for the future - if I'm allowed to.

The fact that I'm still winning against the best 20-year-olds in the national league at the age of 47 shouldn't really be the case.

Stefan KOUBEK, Ex-Tennis-Profi

Patrick Ofner wins the national championships every year at the age of 30 - what does that mean for the youth in Carinthia?Isthere nothing to follow?
As an ambitious youth player, you should be able to play at the top of the national championships from the age of 16. Of course, Patrick Ofner has a style that doesn't suit young players at all. But it should be possible for the best talents to beat him...

Your "oldie" team in Fresach has also won the Carinthian national league in recent years.
Except three years ago! We narrowly lost to the young lads from Strasbourg in the final. Of course it was bitter from a sporting point of view, but I also thought to myself: this is exactly how it has to be, this is the right way. At the age of 47, I really shouldn't be losing so few games at position 1 or 2 against 20-year-olds who are the best in their clubs.