Teams are missing

Salzburg’s tennis does not give women a platform

Salzburg's number one Arabella Koller plays for Ried.(Bild: UALL/Alex Scheuber)

The Austrian Tennis Bundesliga season kicks off next weekend. The province is represented by two teams. In the men's league, mind you. Because there is no sign of a Salzburg women's team. The "Krone" asked the regional association. 

The yellow felt ball will once again take center stage this coming Saturday as the national tennis leagues kick off the new season. The state of Salzburg is represented by two men's teams - STC and Anif both play in Group B and will face each other in a direct duel on May 18. 

And what about the women? Gloomy. There is no club from Salzburg in either the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga! "That's a thorn in our side," admits Erich Mild, Managing Director of the Salzburg Tennis Association. "Unfortunately, most clubs are not interested in a women's Bundesliga team." In short: Salzburg's best female tennis players are not given a real platform at home! 

Silver lining on the horizon?
But because they still want to play at the highest level, they move to other provinces. Arabella Koller serves for Ried, Karolin Kirchtag for Mödling and Emma Leitner fights for points for Bludenz. "We have a lot of good players and would like them to play for Salzburg clubs," emphasizes Mild, who sees a silver lining on the horizon: In St. Johann, they want to focus on a strong women's team. This year, they are playing in the regional league, but in two years' time at the latest, the aim is to be promoted to the 2nd division. Mild: "That could be a great project."