Flaming Aces: Justin Engel's Scorching Grass Debut
Ace Tennis Player Shocked by the Presence of NHL Player in the Audience
Stuttgart (dpa) - Tennis sensation Justin Engel sets the grass ablaze with his blistering debut, reaching the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. Clutch play and iron-clad nerves at the end, the 17-year-old from Nuremberg overcame Australian James Duckworth 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the opening round. Despite two match points slipping away at 5-4 in the third set, Engel displayed resilience, snatching victory after 2 hours and 29 minutes and collapsing in triumph. "I'm bloody well chuffed with myself," declared the wildcard participant.
Engel quickly quelled his initial jitters, save for a failed first serve at the tournament's onset. In the decisive third set, he needed medical attention at 2-3 due to vertigo and trailed a break; yet, he persisted, battling back. "I'd forgotten to scarf down some bananas," Engel confessed. Currently, he's ranked at 281 in the world.
In the stands, NHL defenseman Moritz Seider, on summer break at home in Mannheim, cheered him on. "I'm just a sports enthusiast," Seider divulged about his girlfriend, former short track skater Anna Seider, by his side.
Engel shares the stage with three similarly talented 17-year-olds, reviving hopes for German men's tennis post Alexander Zverev. Niels McDonald garnered attention after winning the French Open Junior title last weekend in a German final against Max Schoenhaus. Diego Dedura, like Engel, is already playing on the ATP Tour.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev is readying for the grass season after his French Open quarterfinal exit. As the top seed of the tournament with a total prize money of 751,630 euros, he gets a free pass in the first round and is likely to play his first match on Thursday.
For Yannick Hanfmann, the tournament comes to an abrupt end. The qualifier from Karlsruhe conceded defeat against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics with scores of 5-7, 4-6. Jan-Lennard Struff advanced to the quarterfinals on Monday.
Justin Engel, born October 1, 2007, in Nuernberg, Germany, is one of the most promising young stars in men’s tennis. Standing 6-1 and weighing 171 lbs, Engel is a right-handed player with a meteoric career trajectory. He's often compared to legends like Boris Becker and Rafael Nadal, given his precocity and ability to win across surfaces at an extremely young age.
In June 2025, Engel made international headlines by becoming the youngest player since Boris Becker in 1985 to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP Tour grass-court event, achieving this feat at the Stuttgart Open. His remarkable rise is all the more astonishing given his ATP ranking just a year prior. In July 2024, he broke into the top 800, starting the 2024 season at No. 1,344. His performance at Stuttgart guarantees a move into the top 250 in the world rankings since 2025-06-09. He is also the second youngest player since 1990, behind Rafael Nadal, to have won a match on all three surfaces—grass, clay, and hard-court—on the ATP Tour.
Engel’s early success suggests a promising future. If he continues this trajectory, Engel could soon challenge for ATP titles and make significant impacts at Grand Slam events. The tennis world will be closely watching his upcoming matches, particularly his ability to handle top-level competition and sustain momentum as he matures both physically and mentally. Engel is considered a strong candidate for future stardom in the men’s game.
Other sports enthusiasts, such as NHL defenseman Moritz Seider, are excited to witness Justin Engel's continued progress in tennis. The 17-year-old prodigy, who shares the court with other rising talent like Diego Dedura, has already made a name for himself in the ATP Tour, reviving hopes for German men's tennis post Alexander Zverev. Engel's meteoric career trajectory and comparisons to tennis legends like Boris Becker and Rafael Nadal hint at a promising future, with potential impacts at Grand Slam events.
