The minutes were ticking, never came, and there was no message from the tournament organizer, but sometime Monday evening, Andrea Petkovic showed up for her video press conference, her hair drenched, a training jacket, and a casual look. She later explained the reason for the delay, “I just went to my room after the match,” she said with a smile, “I took a shower and went to bed wearing my pajamas.” Petkovic forgot her date, “These routines that you had after matches, none of them are there anymore. I had to stop myself again,” she confessed. Even if they made their inaugural match at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart against the world-ranked 19th Greek. Maria Sakari lost 2: 6, 2: 6 because she simply “behaved poorly,” she admits, she was at least able to internalize that feeling: Andrea Petkovic is still a professional tennis player.

Understandably, her native Darmstadt is confused. Last year, when the epidemic and a knee injury forced her to take breaks, she was mentally banished from tennis, a rare occurrence in her professional career, which began in 2006. She dared to start acting as a presenter. ZDF’s sports shows, she wrote her first book, and was often in New York with her violinist boyfriend. A hundred farewell and revival later, there is still, currently 103rd in the world rankings.

In her own way, she now explains why: “I heard an interview that day and they asked Paul McCartney to finally stop. Because he’s almost 80 years old. He said I don’t care.” I liked it. “I’m not Paul McCartney, I look like Ringo Starr from the Beatles. But I was really getting on with it.” Her conclusion: “I do it for myself, I don’t do it for anyone else. As long as people don’t take me off the court and I still enjoy it, I will continue to do it. There is no such thing as tennis.”

“People don’t believe me – but it’s like a relief,” Petkovic said of her return to tennis.

So she was having a little trouble putting aside her second career, which she is building, (although she’s working on a second book project, she revealed). “It was the easiest thing I ever did: dive into tennis again,” Petkovic said. Because it was successful, in front of a TV camera or as a writer, some things were very stressful. Temperance, interviews, readings. But it was also stressful because everything was new. When I got back to my tennis routine, it was like going home, ”Petkovic said. “People can’t believe me – but it’s like a relief.”

Your last season should be in 2021. There will definitely be better framework conditions than empty stands and virtual question-and-answer sessions. She confirmed in a good mood: “I will take it as it is,” although she lost track of time due to difficulties: “I am in the middle of the season, but it seems to me that the season has not started yet. Because everything is very different.” Of course, some things are the same; Petkovic, who does not have to solve problems, is not real Petkovic. The last time she had a backache, the result was a lack of training and a corresponding deficit in play, which she also admitted against Scary. “Whenever I was on the march, I felt good, and it never happened,” she said. “Because I served very poorly.”

Petkovic is now hoping for more match training. In Stuttgart, I accepted the allowance in the doubles, Angelique Kerber and they wanted to compete together for a long time, and now it works. On Tuesday they beat Lyudmila Kitchinuk (Ukraine) and Yelena Ostapenko (Latvia) 7: 6 (5), 3: 6, 10: 5. After that, Petkovic will play in the qualifiers for Madrid and Rome, then a smaller event in the WTA and the French Open. . “I look forward to the next few weeks because I have the qualifications and qualifications of a peloton and a peloton in front of me.” And she assured that you need a rhythm. In Australia at the start of the year it performed well, but ultimately it was kept in quarantine longer than it had on the field.

By the way, the press conference with Petkovich, even if it is digital, should also drift, this is how it should be. And it is still the same. Politics this time was briefly an issue – namely, the candidacy of green politician Analina Burbock as a candidate for the chancellor. what do you think? “Of course it is difficult for me because I know Robert,” she said. Habick works for the same publisher as the book – “I don’t know Mrs. Burbock. But I’m still happy, otherwise we wouldn’t have a woman in the race.” In the event that people interested in politics had not noticed, it even gave all clarity regarding Habec: “Robert was very comfortable, from what I heard.” How good it is that Petkovic gathered himself up again at the press conference.