According to his statements on Sunday evening, it was looming, but now Rainer Schüttler has created facts faster than expected: The 49-year-old is resigning from his position in Ismaning last weekend after the German tennis women’s relegation in the relegation round of the Billie Jean King Cup. According to a press release from the German Tennis Federation (DTB) on Monday evening, the former Australian Open finalist would like to “create space for new impulses and a realignment of personnel”. Schüttler himself was quoted as saying: “I carried out this task with great passion and am proud of the development of the players and the entire team. After the disappointing outcome of the playoffs, now is the right time to take responsibility and make room for new accents.”
The former professional took over the position of captain in 2020 and led the selection to the finals of the traditional national competition three times in the past five years. His departure will take place by mutual agreement. “With his great commitment, his professional expertise and his human nature, he has repeatedly led the team to top performances over the past five years,” said DTB board member Veronika Rücker. According to the DTB, the sporting situation will now be analyzed in the coming weeks before the search for a successor begins. In Ismaning, the German team lost 2-1 against Turkey on Friday and against Belgium on Sunday. The result was relegation from the world group after twelve years.
In the Bavarian community, the two top 50 players Tatjana Maria, 38, and Laura Siegemund, 37, were missing due to injuries, and on Sunday the best German in the world rankings, Eva Lys, 23 (40th), was also out due to thigh problems. On Sunday evening, Schüttler had already left it open whether he would continue. He just announced that, as always, there should be talks with his players in December. “There are a few little things that should be changed. And then we’ll see what happens,” he said. Now the decision about his future was made more quickly.