Jan-Lennard Struff is a German Tennis player whose professional career began in 2009. He however reached the semifinals on the ATP Tour in 2014 which happens to be the same year he reached the 59th position of the ATP ranking.
The 35-year-old reached his career highest ranking so far, in August 2020 and then he was at the 21st spot.
Getting encouragements from his parents who are tennis coaches was all the athlete needed to begin the pursuit of a career in tennis from the age of 6.
Here are 10 Interesting Things about Jan-Lennard Struff and his Career You Should Know About
1. Brief Biography of Jan-Lennard Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff was born in Warstein, Germany, on April 25, 1990, to Mr. Dieter Struff and Mrs. Martina Struff. The town of Warstein is a small town located in the district of Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
He was given sound education while growing up but opted out of college because he wanted to focus on his interest in sports.
There is no information about his other siblings and so it is widely assumed that he is the only child of his parents. If this is so, Jan-Lennard enjoyed unlimited attention from them.
2. His Parents are Tennis Coaches
Mr. and Mrs. Dieter were both Tennis Coaches in a nearby town to Warstein. They coached kids close to their homes in Germany.
Although there weren’t many children interested in tennis at Warstein then, they were invested in their son and his love for tennis.
Martina Struff sacrificed quite a lot for her son and his pursuit of a career in tennis.
At the beginning of Jan-Lennard’s love for the sport, he had his parent’s unwavering support and coaching expertise.
3. Jan-Lennard Struff Started Playing Tennis at the Age of 6
At the tender age of 6, the German-born tennis player started practicing and playing tennis. Recounting how strongly his love for the sport has been since his childhood, the young man stated that he used to get up as early as 5:30 am to watch highlights of tennis games.
Even though he sometimes went late to school because he was glued to the television watching tennis, he did not regret it.
Because there were few kids interested in that game in Warstein at the time, Jan-Lennard had to travel to a nearby town to practice.
Mrs. Martina would pick him up from school, pack a lunch box for him, and drive him, to the bus stop, and from the bus stop to the train station where he would catch a 45-minute ride just to go practice.
Most times, Struff returned home by past 9pm and would have to repeat the same routine day in, and out.
Because of how cheap and easy it was, he preferred to start his tennis-playing career in Europe. He decided not to further his education in spite of offers and advice to go to college.
4. He believes he Turned Pro Later than Most Tennis Players
Jan-Lennard played tennis for more than a decade and although he put a lot of effort into getting better, he didn’t get professional points till he was 19 years old.
Struff did not have the junior career most tennis players had and was ranked 400 on the ITF rankings at the beginning of his professional career.
At 19, Jan-Lennard got his first professional point, and comparing this to most tennis players, it is considered late. Another challenge he had to face was competing and beating other German players who were of the same age as him.
Eventually, he began to rise through positions in the ranking.
5. Struff Reached his Career Highest Ranking on August 31, 2020
5 years after he got his first professional point, Jan-Lennard advanced to his first ATP Tour semifinals. He also made it into the top 100 ATP ranking for the first time since he began pro. Struff made it to the 59th spot in 2014.
A year later he made his Davis Cup debut which happens to be the only team competition he has been to.
By August 31, 2020, Struff had gotten to his career highest (so far) securing the 21st position after a great 2019 season. He, unfortunately, ended the year as No. 38 and has been unstable in the ATP rankings.
By the end of 2022, the German tennis player had dropped to the 151st spot but by the first quarter of 2023, he rose to be part of the top 100 tennis players on the ATP ranking.
6. He is a Right-handed, Clay-Court Tennis Player
Jan-Lennard Struff is most comfortable playing with his right hand. However, he is also great at both-handed plays as well as the backhand style of playing.
Although he has played on other surfaces, he is also more comfortable playing on clay surfaces. He has won most of his matches on clay while mostly losing on hard surfaces.
7. Jan-Lennard Struff is Married
The German tennis player, Jan-Lennard, is married to a woman simply known as Madeleine Struff. She is the mother of Struff’s son named Henri who was born on April 3, 2019.
The couple is quite discreet with information regarding their family and son. In most of the Instagram posts featuring Madeleine and her son, the boy’s face is mostly out of view or covered.
Jan-Lennard’s wife’s Instagram account is private too.
8. The 35-year-old has a Combined Prize Money of almost $8 Million
As of 2023, Struff has prize money of $163, 074 after winning 2 games and losing 4. However, he has combined prize money of $7, 872, 864 from his singles and Doubles.
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9. Struff is a 6 Feet 5 Inches Tall Fitness Enthusiast
With a knack for fitness and keeping in shape, Jan-Lennard Struff engages in many activities that keep him fit. The 6 feet, 5 Inches, tall tennis player trains with Uwe Liedtke.
His coach is Carsten Arriens who also hails from Germany and turned Tennis pro back in 1991. Arriens got to a career-high highest ranking of 109.
10. If he wasn’t a Tennis Player, Struff would’ve been Into Track and Field
If Jan-Lennard Struff wasn’t a tennis player, he would have probably been a track and field athlete. He had an interest in 100 meters races when he was younger but had his eyes on tennis.
Although he is quite tall and would pass for a basketball player, Struff wasn’t good at basketball.
Another game he is interested in is Soccer and he is huge a Borrusia Dortmund fan. He even claimed he would choose to switch places with a Borussia Dortmund player if given the chance.
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