Thiem coach Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh: "Tennis remains a repeat sport"
In Munich, Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh is contesting the second tournament as a coach alongside Dominic Thiem . The interview with tennisnet is not just about his new protégé, but also about a man whom Ebrahimzadeh has known since childhood: Holger Rune .
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Apr 17, 2023, 10:44 pm
tennisnet : Mr. Ebrahimzadeh. When a football coach takes over a new team, this coach often comes up with a fixed idea, mostly he strengthens the defence. What does it look like in tennis when you devote yourself to a new task?
Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh : In tennis there are many different aspects that have to be taken into account: First of all, you have to get a feeling for the situation where you meet your player. Where is he right now physically, technically and tactically? Where has he been before? What are the biggest differences? And then you need clear tasks and goals that can be achieved as quickly as possible.
tennisnet : You worked for three years as technical director in Patrick Mouratoglou's academy. And also worked with one of the big climbers of the last year, Holger Rune. how are your memories
Ebrahimzadeh : I ran the Champ'seed program for Patrick. And Holger was one of the young talents that I brought there, alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti and Cori Gauff. I've known Holger since he was twelve years old.
tennisnet : Did you see Rune in his early years that he had something outstanding about him?
"Holger Rune reaped the fruits of his labor early on"
Ebrahimzadeh : All the guys who have now reached the top of the world have qualities that are special. Holger was always very disciplined, very ambitious and very self-confident from an early age. he worked incredibly hard. He reaps the rewards very, very early in his career. He's rightly in the top ten now. I'm excited to see what he'll do in the future.
tennisnet : What does Rune mean to you as a tennis player?
Ebrahimzadeh : He can play incredibly fast, but then again with a lot of security. He is athletic, suddenly plays a stop, then surprisingly comes to the net. He is very, very self-confident and has a great presence for his young age. And also a certain matter of course to play down matches from above. That's a thing you almost can't learn. And he has a good team around him, especially his fitness coach, who I think is one of the best on the tour.
tennisnet : Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, is in a completely different stage of his career than Holger Rune. How did the collaboration with him come about?
Ebrahimzadeh : The contact between me and Dominic has always existed, we have seen each other again and again, we speak the same language. Then Domi called me from Estoril at the end of the week and asked if I could imagine that. We found common ground very quickly and I said: "All right, see you tomorrow in Monaco."
tennisnet : Dominic has already mentioned a few times that it is also important for him to have a coach again who speaks his native language. Why could that also be a building block for success?
"I'm impressed how quickly Dominic adapts things"
Ebrahimzadeh : I coached in German, also in English. I couldn't do it in French. You can describe feelings and situations better and better in your mother tongue. That makes things easier. Especially in situations where you need to be a little clearer about how you feel and what the difference is, that can certainly help. For me it is very pleasant. The last players I spoke to in my native language were Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic.
tennisnet : Dominic Thiem is a Grand Salm champion, a finished player. What adjustment screws can you turn there?
Ebrahimzadeh : At the end of the day, it mostly comes down to basics. The commitment of the player is decisive. How much does the player want that? Is he willing to get up early and go to bed early every day? Is he ready to eat well? Getting a little better every day? Is he willing to ask himself the honest questions? And then it's my job to find the right tasks in training that he has to work through. Technically and tactically.
tennisnet : In his press conference here, Dominic said that he was doing more basic work again. What does that mean?
Ebrahimzadeh : Tennis is and will remain a repetitive sport. You can't argue with that. We can twist and turn as we want. What matters is: are you doing the reps or not doing them? If you see where Dominic's from, he's always done those reps. And my sizes are always high. With very high intensity. We're working on that at the moment and he's doing an excellent job. I'm amazed at how quickly he adapts things.
tennisnet : Let's take a quick look at the big picture: Just last week in Monte Carlo there were a few handshakes that weren't exactly friendly. Zverev and Medvedev, Rune and Sinner. Good or bad for tennis?
Ebrahimzadeh : Of course you have to see the time we live in. With all the social media options, such scenes with the GIFs are played up and down 28 times. You see every reaction. This is always made a bit more dramatic than it is on the outside. There is no question for me that it is good for tennis. But it's also overcooked.
tennisnet : In the last few weeks, Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune and of course Carlos Alcaraz have also been able to convince consistently. Do you see Alcaraz on a slightly higher level than Sinner and Rune in this trio?
Ebrahimzadeh : There are different types of players. Alcaraz is very complete, very aggressive and takes time away from his opponents. Sinner has very hard groundstrokes, maybe a little less impact with his serve than the other two. Holger is brutally stable, maybe the best of these three players physically. Comparisons don't make any sense.
tennisnet : Mr. Ehrahimzadeh - thank you very much for the interview.
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