South Tyrol's once greatest tennis talent has had enough: "I don't see any point anymore"

In the past four months, Verena Hofer has only played two international tournaments, both times she failed in the first round. Most recently she only showed at regional open tournaments, like last time in Bolzano , your class. As a result, there have been rumors for the past week about the young woman from Val Gardena, who years ago was considered one of the best hopes in Italy's tennis world. Upon request from SportNews Hofer takes a public stand for the first time and makes it unmistakably clear: “That’s it for my international career, I’ve had enough.” Her once promising career ends at the age of 21, a tender age at which the stars of other tennis greats really began to rise .

The big breakthrough never materialized Hofer wants to explain himself and speaks bluntly about the “lack of progress”. She has played at roughly the same level for the past five years; in the $15.000 tournaments on the ITF tour, she ended up in the semi-finals at the latest. Although the Ladin native was ranked 667th in the WTA ranking in December, better than ever before in her career, a rule change in the rating system set her back significantly, and after her recent dip in form, she was finally completely dropped from the world rankings this week. “I kept taking one step forward and then taking two steps back. I don’t see any point in it anymore because it wears you out and makes you mentally exhausted.” “Karin Knapp helped me wherever she could during this difficult time” And yet, Hofer didn't make the decision easy. “After my last tournament in Tunisia I was completely frustrated. “Later, I withdrew at home for ten days and finally made this decision,” says the nimble right-hander from Ortisei. “Then I went to Rome, where I lived and trained for a year, and announced the decision.” . Her coaching staff recently included the former world-class player Karin Knapp, who ended her career a year ago . “She always had an open ear for me during this difficult time and helped me wherever she could. She showed great understanding.”

Hofer's radical cut seems understandable, even if many once predicted a great career for her. In her youth she was a multiple Italian champion and later played in all four Junior Grand Slam tournaments. “Those were incredibly beautiful moments that I never want to miss. Tennis has given me a lot,” says Hofer, who adds: “But I also have to say: In no other sport in the world is it so difficult to reach the top. Tennis is played around the world.” “There are tons of tennis players in the world, but only the top 200 can make a living from it” She also mentions the downsides, away from the big spotlight of Wimbledon, Roland Garros or Flushing Meadows: “You travel for many months of the year, you spend a lot of time sitting alone in hotel rooms. It is also an expensive sport. There are tons of tennis players in the world, but only the top 200 or so of them can actually make a living from it.” Hofer remains loyal to the felt ball However, Hofer is not completely done with tennis, as she is under contract with TC Rungg and most recently competed in the Serie A2 championship with them. “No future decision has been made in this regard. I will definitely get my coaching license and continue to play one or two matches. “But I won’t be seen internationally anymore,” says Hofer, who currently works in her parents’ pizzeria in the tennis hall in Runggaditsch. “It remains to be seen what the future will bring professionally and sportingly.” First of all, she is looking forward to significantly more free time, on hikes and bike tours in the Dolomites and relaxed evenings with her friends.

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South Tyrol's once greatest tennis talent has had enough: "I don't see any point anymore"

At the end of May, Verena Hofer made her last international appearance in Tunisia, and since then things have been quiet for her. The 21-year-old only hit the felt ball at smaller, local tennis tournaments. Now she explains why and at the same time draws a rigorous conclusion.

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