Carpet Tennis? Welcome To The Ismaning Challenger

Watch the ATP Challenger Tour event in Ismaning, Germany and you will see a carpet court as orange as leaves turning colour in autumn. Do not be mistaken, it is not red clay, it is the last carpet tournament remaining on the ATP Challenger Tour or higher.

Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler, who is seeded eighth at the Wolffkran Open by Tannenhof this week, is no stranger to the surface. Despite rarely competing on carpet at the pro level, the 27-year-old has found success in Ismaning, where he was crowned champion in 2020.

“Carpet is a bit special. It’s a bit of a changeup, pretty fast but absolutely playable,” Huelser told ATPTour.com. “I grew up on carpet a little so I know what it’s like. It plays pretty fast, especially serving, it’s really important. It’s easier to get free points with your serve, especially the slider serve, it somehow accelerates on the floor.

“It’s similar to grass because you have to stay low. If you manage to take the ball early, go to net and use the pace your opponent gives you, then you’re a good carpet player.”

Ismaning’s surface rewards hefty servers. No better example than last year’s champion Quentin Halys, who struck 107 aces across five matches, including 24 in the final, en route to lifting the trophy. The rarity of carpet tournaments also means players need to quickly grow accustomed to the surface upon their arrival in Germany.

“Many players are happy to practise longer than other tournaments,” tournament director Christoph Poehlmann said. “If possible, they arrive earlier and have more practice options It’s a big change for everybody and they need more time to practise.” 

Another memorable moment from last year’s event was when home hope 19-year-old Max Hans Rehberg went on a dream run to his maiden Challenger final. Now age 20, Rehberg kicked off this year’s edition by upsetting third seed Maxime Cressy.

“It’s special because some of the players here are German players who grew up on the surface and know that they can play on it because they are familiar with it,” Poehlmann said. “Our local wild card Rehberg has played on this surface since he was a child and last year he made the final. It was a great success for him to come so far in the tournament.”

Did You Know?
Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors claimed 45 titles on carpet while John McEnroe captured 43 trophies on the surface. But since 2009, carpet has not been featured on the ATP Tour.