Dominik Koepfer, the left-handed German whose demeanor combines laser focus with an evident sense of personality, first came to my attention in summer 2019, when he edged a winner-gets-Wimbledon-wild card tie-break against Dennis Novak to claim the prestigious Ilkley Challenger. He would further distinguish himself with a hat-trick of US Open qualifying wins followed by three victories in the tournament proper–including over huge-serving Reilly Opelka and 17th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili–and a spot in the Top 100 at year-end.
If 25 seems a belated age at which to make your Slam debut, it should be remembered that Koepfer did not have a junior ranking, having not participated in any youth tournaments. He absquatulated his picturesque southern German town for Tulane University in New Orleans, studying business alongside his tennis scholarship. Merits in match points and distinctions in drop shots were to follow, as he became National Intercollegiate Indoor Champion at 21, though it wasn’t until four years later that genuine momentum was his.
Coached by the historically prolific Rhyne Williams–who a decade ago appeared in five Slams and almost reached the Top 100–the aspirationally prolific German went on to make the quarters of Rome and third round of Wimbledon before the resultant lockdown-induced lull, made all the harder by one of tennis’ more unfortunate commonplaces: a recurrent arm injury.
The history of tennis is strewn with instances of players whose talent remained unfulfilled–such as Jared Donaldson and Guillaume Rufin, forced to retire at 22 and 25 respectively–or, in the case of Borna Coric and Juan Martin del Potro, only partially realized due to persistent injuries.
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Nonetheless, Koepfer took fate in his hands and shaped it last year, blasting his way to four Challenger finals in six events as well as the semis of the Nottingham grass competition to upgrade his ranking from #262 to #86 in three months (and rendering him the only man to win Challengers on all three surfaces in the last five years). A quarterfinal and a semifinal in North American tour events followed –including wins over Dan Evans and an almost-retired John Isner – which brought about a return to the Top 50, engendering optimism that the door marked “first tour final” will soon be entered.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
