The Kohlschreiber-Engel partnership, a promising coach alongside a tennis prodigy

Many people still remember Philipp Kohlschreiber's one-handed backhand. The German tennis player retired in 2022 after winning eight titles, reaching ATP ranking number 16, and making it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2012. He was a solid player with a strong game but never translated it into major titles, although he always challenged the best players (defeating Djokovic twice and Nadal once). After over 20 years as a professional, he hung up his racket and, after a couple of years off, decided to venture into coaching.

The transition from player to coach is not always easy and does not guarantee that success and experience will transfer to your protégé. The most recent example is Andy Murray with Novak Djokovic, a short-lived experience for the Scotsman that lasted only six months. However, the German chose to start from scratch, with a young German tennis prospect whom he could mentor and train to potentially enter the professional circuit soon. His compatriot is Justin Engel, who achieved a noteworthy milestone even before being coached by Kohlschreiber.

Guiding a new gem to polish

In October 2024, Engel became the first 2007-born player to secure a victory on the ATP circuit, in the first round in Almaty. Shortly after, he began working with the former tennis player and also set another record for precocity. He became the second youngest player since 1990 to achieve victories on all three different surfaces of the circuit, with only one player achieving it at a younger age: Rafael Nadal.

Engel continued to make a name for himself, with his most recent success at the start of the grass court season. The German received a wildcard entry to the ATP 250 Stuttgart and caused a stir by reaching the quarterfinals, where Auger-Aliassime eliminated him. He then played the qualifiers for the ATP Halle, falling in the final qualifying match to Sebastian Ofner, and today he will make his debut at the ATP Mallorca against Leaner Tien after reaching 219th place in the Rankings, his highest position to date. With these outstanding results, he has secured the 9th spot in the race for the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah. It can be said that he is meeting expectations.

"I've been quite lucky, I would say. It's my first experience from the other side. He's very determined. He is very focused on hard work, sometimes too much, so I am also here to hold him back and not rush things. You don't have to push him; he's always there, giving a hundred percent, so that's a great aspect to work with," Kohlschreiber revealed in an interview with ATP.

The former tennis player praised his protégé: "He's a young player, and I try to help him learn as quickly as possible the things we all go through. He's also a great person. He loves tennis, loves the fans, loves being in big tournaments, which at this stage remains a big advantage for us."

Nevertheless, he is aware that both he as a coach and his player still have a long way to go: "We still have to go through the Challenger Tour, but if he gets the opportunity to play big tournaments, he enjoys it a lot and also the connection and vibes from the fans. I don't want to say he's a showmaker, but he loves the attention and giving something back to the fans."

Augsburg took the opportunity to analyze Engel's tennis: "He started working on his body in the gym very early, so he is physically very strong. He pushes himself to the limit every day on the court. He plays for many hours, and he has the ability to generate speed from both sides and with his serve. That's modern tennis. There must be power to finish points and a good serve, and I'm thrilled that he brings those good qualities. On the other hand, I believe that now my job is to combine his power with some strategy, shot selection, and toughness in the point. It's also crucial that I ensure he's not too easy to play against. I think it's a great combination. He brings the power, and I bring the knowledge gained from many tennis matches to try to improve his on-court thinking."

All eyes and expectations are now on Engel, and Kohlschreiber is working to keep him grounded: "He's actually still 17 years old. He shows me his phone and says, 'Hey, I have new followers on Instagram' and things like that. I smile and tell him, 'Great, keep pushing, and more will follow you.' It's clear that he's still very young with these things, but he's handling it all very well. As I said, he's one of those guys who likes to play on big stages, even against big names, but he is respectful. He gets nervous like everyone else, but he genuinely enjoys it and tries to step up on the big stages. I think that's great because he's not afraid to show that he's a great guy on the court, even with many spectators. I also believe it's a good step for the future to play on bigger stages and absorb the energy from the fans," concludes the former tennis player who has chosen a promising project to start his coaching career, aiming to transition from promises to reality, one as a coach and the other as a player.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La unión Kohlschreiber-Engel, un prometedor entrenador junto a una promesa del tenis