Celebrities don’t fare any better when they fly: tennis pro Oscar Otte has to manage without his tennis bag in Wimbledon, which gets lost on the outward flight. A trick helps him. But that doesn’t bother the nominally best Germans in the tournament. His wave of success is far from over.
For someone who lost a lucky stone before the most important tennis tournament in the world, Oscar Otte is in a remarkably good mood. That may be because, after a rapid rise, he enjoys the privileges that are only granted to the elite circle of the seeded at Wimbledon. Or simply because Otte is not superstitious and works out his luck anyway.
On the outward flight to London, the tennis pro from Cologne said after his clear opening victory over his buddy Peter Gojowczyk, a piece of luggage had disappeared. The contents: five pairs of lawn shoes, strings for his racquets – and the lucky stone that his father once gave him. Annoying, but no reason to panic. “Fortunately, I said to myself the night before: I’d better take the clubs in my hand luggage. That was important because I probably wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on the clubs that quickly.”
His outfitter was able to deliver two pairs of shoes in Otte’s size in good time before the start of the tournament. “If things continue to go well, they will have to send some more,” said the 28-year-old from Cologne. Because of the heavy wear and tear on grass, the world number 36 moves. usually every lot a new pair.
In the 6: 1, 6: 2, 6: 1 against Gojowczyk, however, he was hardly challenged. The only seeded German in the men’s field won after only 1:18 hours and easily reached the second round. In general, things are going well away from the airport at the moment. After the semi-finals in Stuttgart and Halle/Westphalia, Otte slipped among the 32 seeded for a short time due to the cancellation of Frenchman Gael Monfils and can now enter the dressing room of the stars. “It’s nice, like a living room with a small mini golf course. Everything is more private, more chic,” said Otte about the luxury.
He wasn’t used to that for a long time, the breakthrough was a long time coming. With the round of 16 at the US Open 2021, he escaped the lowlands of the tennis tour for the first time, this year Otte really took off – and after the injury to the Olympic champion and world number two Alexander Zverev in Wimbledon, he is the German number one.
He still finds the two-class society in the All England Club a bit odd. “I was down for years, now I’m up,” said Otte, as if he could hardly believe it all. But the 28-year-old is enjoying the situation he’s “waited for for years” and has always worked hard for. In Essen for several years, in the tennis center of the Moraing family.
Peter Moraing is his coach and his daughter Emma is his girlfriend. The combination fits, even if he had to leave his beloved Rhineland for it. Otte not only found love and success in the Ruhr area, but also a second home, which he now proudly wears through Wimbledon. Its outfitter, the Grubenhelden with the colliery in their logo and charcoal stains on their shirts, embodies the area. “They have cool lifestyle things, and I also like the tennis clothes. It’s something new that not everyone has,” said Otte.
This also applies to his friendly, open manner. Otte is not just relaxed. He is it. However, things are going extremely well at the moment. On Tuesday he was able to look at his upcoming opponent in peace: Christian Harrison from the USA and Briton Jay Clare had to go into extra time – their match had been canceled the night before. Otte came through shortly before. He has earned his luck, he doesn’t need a stone for that.
