Currently ranked No. 118 in the world, Dominik Koepfer of Germany is making his Round-of-16 debut on Sunday at the 2019 US Open. He is set to face No. 5 seed, Daniil Medvedev of Russia, in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
After securing the first three rounds of the tournament, Koepfer is guaranteed a new world ranking inside the Top 100. Koepfer had to battle through three rounds of qualifying in addition to his main-draw matches to help clinch his current position.
USOpen.org caught up with Koepfer ahead of his Round-of-16 match to talk about his alma mater, Tulane University, what it means to play on tennis' biggest stage and facing Medvedev next.
USOpen.org: How does it feel to be in the Round of 16 at the 2019 US Open?
Dominik Koepfer: This is the first time I am playing here, so that’s super exciting. I didn’t expect to be here this long—all the way from qualifying. This is a very special moment. Surprisingly, I don’t feel terrible physically, despite all the matches. I struggled a little bit after the first round, especially with a lot of nerves. In the second and third round, I felt pretty good with a lot of solid tennis, so hopefully I can come back for the Round of 16 feeling just as good with continued recovery.
USOpen.org: You graduated from Tulane University in 2016. If you could go back in time, would you go to college all over again or try to play professionally sooner in your career?
Dominik Koepfer: For me, going to college was the right thing to do. I got a lot better in my junior and senior years of college. When I first started playing professionally, I struggled. I had a hard time winning matches, even in the qualifying rounds of Futures.
USOpen.org: What has been the biggest adjustment in your professional career that helped you rack the wins up?
Dominik Koepfer: I’m mentally way tougher. I don’t freak out as much anymore. I just feel more positive and know I can hang with all of these guys out here.
USOpen.org: How do you feel about playing against your next opponent, Daniil Medvedev?
Dominik Koepfer: It’s definitely going to be fun to play him, especially after what happened in his previous match. He’s a great player. He’s made three finals, won one tournament, and has a great run here. It’s going to be tough, but I have nothing to lose, and the pressure is on him. Hopefully a lot of people will be watching.
USOpen.org: What has playing on the big stadiums at this tournament meant to you? How significant would playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium be?
Dominik Koepfer: I played in [Louis Armstrong Stadium] the other day, under the roof, which was already pretty cool. It was really loud. Playing on Ashe would be obviously another step, just unbelievable. You watch tennis growing up and see players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer winning their titles year after year, so that would be a dream come true.
USOpen.org: What does being in New York and playing at the US Open mean to you?
Dominik Koepfer: It is very busy here. Takes forever to get to the courts sometimes during the week, but it has been fun. There’s a lot of dinner spots, but I go to the same one every night: my spot, an Italian restaurant.
