Laura Siegemund is one of the best tennis players in Germany, has a degree in psychology – and was about to give up her professional career. A conversation about defeats and the question of how to pick yourself up again after a low.
Interviewed by
Gerald Kleffmann
Laura Siegemund smiles when the video camera comes on. She just wanted to get a coffee. It’s a cold winter’s day and the 34-year-old from Metzingen is preparing for the coming season. Siegemund has been one of the extended circle of the best tennis players in Germany for seven years. At the age of twelve she was the first German after Stefanie Graf to win the Orange Bowl, the famous youth tournament in Florida. She was quickly overwhelmed with expectations. After an unsuccessful period, Siegemund stopped playing professional tennis for a short time and studied psychology. She wrote her thesis on “Failure under pressure”.