After besting the young Brit, Oliver Tarvet, in the second round of Wimbledon, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is set to go up against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. The Spaniard didn’t have much difficulty overcoming the 21-year-old Tarvet and punched his third-round ticket with a score line of 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. “Today I played just great tennis and I am really happy with my game today.” But can he replicate the same result with Struff? How does the German compare to the former World No.1 and five-time slam winner? Perhaps it’s the best time to know more about him ahead of their clash.

Who is Jan-Lennard Struff?

Jan-Lennard Struff was born in 1990, in Warstein, Germany. At the age of six, Struff first began playing the racket sport. Now 34, he is a right-handed tennis pro and likes to hit a two-handed backhand the most during matches. After turning pro in 2009, Struff has been active on tour for the last sixteen years. Speaking of his social life, he has an Instagram account where he shares updates from his daily routine and ATP tours.

Jan-Lennard Struff’s career overview

Jan-Lennard Struff’s played 484 career matches so far in his career (as of this writing). Out of them, he’s clinched 227. He’s won just one ATP title so far and in doing so, he became the third oldest player to win a maiden ATP trophy. It came last season, during the 2024 BMW Open on clay. In the summit clash, Struff bested World No.5 and American star Taylor Fritz with a score line of 7-5, 6-3. The German was 33-years and 11-months-old when he lifted the winner’s trophy.

Reacting to this unique achievement, he said, “It means a lot. I’m 33 years old, and it’s just an incredible feeling. I’m very, very happy and at the same time it gets a big weight off my chest to finally win my first title.” reported ATP’s website in April 2024.

Struff has so far appeared in seven Davis Cup campaigns for Germany. On two occasions, he was able to play in the semis (2021 and 2024). At the Olympics, he’s played three editions for Germany (2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris).

Struff was ranked a career high of 21 back in June 2023. Currently, however, he’s sitting at the 125th position on the list. Here’s an overview of his best runs in each of the major event in Grand Slams:

• Australian Open: Second Round (2018, 2024)
• French Open: Fourth Round (2019, 2021)
• Wimbledon: Third Round (2018, 2019, 2024)
• US Open: Third Round (2018, 2020)

Jan-Lennard Struff at Wimbledon

Jan-Lennard Struff has played a total of 10 Wimbledon campaigns. Unfortunately, though, he’s never been able to leave a lasting impact on the grass major. While he’s made it to the R32 (third round) thrice, the German has never gone beyond that phase.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Jan-Lennard Struff: Head-to-Head

Both the players have met four times in their ATP careers so far. Currently, Carlos Alcaraz leads the H2H tally 3-1 against Struff. The last time they met was during the Madrid Open in 2024. Back then, the Spaniard emerged victorious eventually.

• 2024 Madrid Open R16: Alcaraz 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(4)
• 2023 Madrid Open Final: Alcaraz 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
• 2022 Wimbledon R128 (First Round): Alcaraz 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4
• 2021 French Open R32: Struff 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2

Struff’s family and personal life

Jan-Lennard Struff’s father is Dieter and his mother is Martina Struff. Interestingly, they both are former tennis coaches. They started playing the racket sport with him at the young age of six. Growing up, the ATP pro (whose nickname is Struffi) idolized American legend Pete Sampras who won seven Wimbledon titles in his career.

Struff is a huge soccer fan, too, and supports the Borussia Dortmund club. Speaking of his own personal life, Struff is married to Madeline. Together, they have a son named Henri, who was born in 2019.

Who is Struff’s coach?

Jan-Lennard Struff’s coach Carsten Arriens is a former Davis Cup captain. Back in 2019, Struff expressed his gratitude to Arriens for supporting him and playing a big part in his career. Ahead of his fourth round encounter at the French Open, with 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic, Struff revealed, “Carsten and I talk a lot and he brought so many different new aspects to the team. He’s able to push me, but he also shows me new ways of doing things. He’s a tennis expert and has a great personality.” as reported on the Roland Garros website six years ago.

It will be intriguing to see if the German can hold his ground against a formidable opponent like Alcaraz. The latter has already beat him on grass at the Wimbledon back in 2022. Will Struff be able to avenge his loss this time? What do you think?

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