Looking very positive

Porsche Team Germany

Porsche Team Germany kicked off the 2018 Fed Cup season with a sensational win. In Minsk, the players captained by Jens Gerlach won the thrilling and hard-fought tie against Belarus to reach the semi-final which will be played parallel to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s opening weekend on 21/22 April. The aim is clear: Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges and co. want to reach the final as Porsche Team Germany – and return home with the trophy.  

The new-found confidence comes not only from the hard-earned opening victory against last year’s runner-up, the squad of world class players available to team captain Jens Gerlach gives cause for hope of further Fed Cup successes. In addition to the “heroes from Minsk” Tatjana Maria, Antonia Lottner and Anna-Lena Grönefeld, the Porsche Team Germany set-up also includes Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges, Carina Witthöft, Mona Barthel, Annika Beck, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Andrea Petkovic, Sabine Lisicki and Laura Siegemund.

New Dynamism

Porsche has been a Premium Partner of the “Deutschen Tennis Bundes” (DTB – German Tennis Association) and sponsor of Porsche Team Germany since 2012. Women’s tennis in Germany has enjoyed a new dynamism ever since Porsche started its commitment. Spearheaded by Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Germany reached the Fed Cup final for the first time in 22 years in 2014. The Porsche Brand Ambassador sparked a new enthusiasm for tennis in Germany in 2016 when she celebrated her first career Grand Slam win at the Australian Open before going on the claim the US Open after successfully defending her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. At the end of the fantastic season, she was voted “Sportswoman of the Year” in Germany.

Functioning sponsorship

One player made her Porsche Team Germany debut in February 2018 – Antonia Lottner. Still sponsored within the Porsche Talent Team Germany setup, she celebrated a fabulous Fed Cup premiere and contributed a vital point to the sensational win. Before her, Annika Beck, Carina Witthöft and Anna-Lena Friedsam had also made the step-up from the Talent Team to Fed Cup duty. The performances of such players, who have been carefully guided to the top of women’s tennis after starting off as hopeful juniors, is the best proof that the coaching programme developed by Porsche and the DTB is working.

The close cooperation has led to German women’s tennis reaching a new level in the past years. After the 2018 Australian Open, two German players – Angelique Kerber and Julia Görges – were ranked in the world Top 10 for the first time since Steffi Graf and Anke Huber. A strong team lives from strong singles players.

“We want German players to also be successful as a team,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. Also close to Porsche’s heart is the development of Germany’s junior players. “The success of the top players will also rub off onto the many talented youngsters. Playing tennis is far more fun for them when they have role models. We want to play our part in making sure there are such role models in the future too.And therefore create the conditions whereby we can consistently present our Porsche Tennis Grand Prix audience with a German winner.” 

“Turbo for Talents”

The partnership with the German Tennis Association is an essential part of the sport sponsoring concept of Porsche of which the junior coaching programme plays an important part. Under the “Turbo for Talents” motto, Porsche consequently supports the junior activities at a variety of sports clubs in places where Porsche has facilities.

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Mona Barthel