Markus Günthardt

Tournament Director Markus Günthardt

“Full arena and fantastic atmosphere”

The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is also setting standards one year after its 40thjubilee. Eight Top 10 players and 15 from the Top 20 will once again produce a bit of a Grand Slam feel in the Porsche Arena. Markus Günthardt’s expectations are however much higher. “It’s not the excellent main draw field alone that makes a tournament,” he says. “For me as the tournament director, what counts above all is a full arena and a fantastic atmosphere no matter who’s on court.”

Speaking ahead of the 41stedition of the long-established Stuttgart tournament in the Porsche Arena, he talked about… … the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as a crowd puller:

“We’ve got a fabulous crowd in Stuttgart and one that has remained loyal over many years. The people are obviously happy with the product we offer them year in, year out and can hardly wait until play starts again in the Porsche Arena. Proof is provided by the fact that people buy their tickets earlier and earlier and most of the days are therefore sold out months in advance. For us, the high degree of popularity is not only proof of the trust they have in us but also an obligation to work hard so that it all stays the same way in the future too.” … the increased expectations of the spectators and the efforts to fulfil them:

“World class tennis alone doesn’t suffice to fill a hall in the long run. Most visitors spend the whole day at the venue. They don’t just want to watch tennis for hours on end, no matter how attractive the matches are, but expect leisure activities that go far beyond tennis. We place great importance on an attractive supporting programme. We offer not only autograph sessions with the stars but “have a go” activities for both young and old – and all in an atmosphere in which people feel at ease. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has to be an event for the whole family, something that’s very important for us.” ... the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s recipe for success:

“As far as the players are concerned, we do everything we can so that they feel at home and have the conditions and facilities in which they can produce their best tennis. It’s something we obviously manage to do. The world’s best players come to our tournament. Alongside the Top 10 stars, the world No. 11 will also be here and she won’t even be seeded. This means she might have to play the number eight in the first round. There’s no other tournament in the world where it can happen. It’s like the second week at a Grand Slam as the No. 11 would be seeded at every other tournament. Nevertheless, she’ll be here, just like the No. 20. For me, it’s proof that the whole package is spot on.” ... the popularity of the tournament amongst the players:

“I’ve been the tournament director of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix since 2005 and in this time the players have voted us as their favourite tournament on the world tour on nine occasions. It’s an accolade which we can be proud of and it’s also a spur to continue working hard. I think it’s the whole package that makes us stand out. The Porsche Arena is a fantastic hall and then there’s the magnetism of Porsche as the title-sponsor. What’s also important for the players is that we have a tournament where everything is close together. Everything is within easy walking distance and the players can pop over from their hotel in flip-flops to practice or play a match. The playing conditions are excellent and we have a highly enthusiastic crowd that get totally involved in every match – no matter whether two stars or two qualifiers are out on court.” ... the importance of the tournament within women’s tennis:

“We work hard to be the most innovative tournament on the WTA Tour, and to stay that way in the future too.Our jubilee tournament in 2017 caused a furore worldwide. Something like the Celebration Night, with which we celebrated the anniversary together with our spectators and players, was a first on the world’s centre courts. It’s not only our view as the feedback from the WTA was overwhelming. The WTA sees our tournament as a showcase and, by taking the example of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, wants to show other tournament directors how attractively women’s tennis can be presented. The quality we offer in every area is unequalled worldwide. Image and esteem-wise, we are seen as a big tournament even though prize money-wise, we’re not. Not least as a result of our jubilee tournament, we have aroused big expectations for the future and they are expectations we want to fulfil. With Porsche’s support, we’ve gone to great lengths to once again be able to offer our audience exceptional tennis moments this year. I’m very confident we’ll succeed.” … the tournament field with numerous Top 10 stars:

“Having so many Top 10 players here every year is a wonderful endorsement of our efforts. Even though it’s almost the norm for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, it does show that we’re obviously doing a lot right. However, it’s not a fantastic field of players alone that makes a good tournament. For me as the tournament director, what counts above all is that we have a full arena and a great atmosphere no matter who’s on court.” … his favourites for the tournament win:

“Coming from Switzerland and as the tournament director, I’m duty bound to be neutral. It’s my way of avoiding naming a favourite. But it’s incredibly difficult anyway in a field with eight Top 10 players. A tournament win is a possibility for all of them, starting with Simona Halep as No. 1. Perhaps we’ll have a surprise like in 2011 when Julia Görges won or in 2017 when Laura Siegemund was victorious. The differences at the top are minimal. A lot depends on the form on the day, on how they are feeling mentally. At the moment, I wouldn’t dare to tip the winner.” ... the Premiere of the Turkish Airlines Tiebreak:

“As the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix starts on a Fed Cup weekend, we always had big problems scheduling main draw matches on Monday. It’s down to the fact that a player that was involved in the Fed Cup doesn’t have to play on Monday. In the recent past, we had fantastic legends matches when we presented our audience unforgettable tennis greats like André Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and many more. However, at some stage the legends run out which is why we thought up something new, the Turkish Airlines Tiebreak. Six top players split up into two groups will contest the tournament on Monday evening. The two players topping the group will face each other in the final where a million bonus miles for Turkish Airlines are at stake. It’s a compact event without breaks and long warm-ups – all the players are in the Porsche Arena the whole time. It all means we can offer our audience a real highlight on the very first day of the tournament.” ... Anke Huber’s role as the Operating Tournament Director:

“Anke is enormously important for the tournament. It’s easy for her to gain access to the players even though she comes from a different generation. It creates a relationship of trust with the players that would otherwise would be very difficult to achieve. Anke is very experienced. She knows what a player wants, what a player needs, how a player thinks. During the tournament, she takes on a very important function as the link between the WTA, the players and the tournament organisers. Anke is the ideal person for the key position.” … the role of Porsche:

“Porsche is a really important element in the success of the tournament. Porsche has a magnetism that only few title-sponsors have. But Porsche is not only the title-sponsor but also the promoter and it’s felt throughout the venue. With Porsche’s support, we can put a coherent concept into place and one that is consistent and top notch – exactly as we envisage it. Players profit from it as do spectators.”

Markus Günthardt has been the tournament director of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix since 2005. Born in Zürich on 10 September 1957, the Swiss was himself a professional player on the ATP Tour from 1978 to 1985. In this time, he also played for Switzerland in the Davis Cup. He remained in the game after his playing career. Working for Ion Tiriac, he organised various tournaments such as the Eurocard Open in Stuttgart and the ATP Tour World Championships in Hannover. He acted as a consultant for the Turkish Tennis Association at the WTA Championships which were played in Istanbul from 2011 to 2013. His experience is in demand worldwide, also in the WTA Board of Directors. Markus Günthardt lives with his wife and two childrenin Madrid and in Switzerland.