16. 06. 10. - 14:00

'Back from long holiday' Muster to stage ATP comeback

Former number one world tennis champ Thomas Muster has announced a sensational comeback on the world tour.

The Styrian said today (Weds) he will compete in the Nord LB Open, an ATP Challenger tournament taking place in Braunschweig, Germany, from 25 June.

Muster won 45 ATP tournaments before retiring from professional tennis in 1999. His career highlight was the victory at the 1995 French Open where he beat American Michael Chang in the final. Muster subsequently became number one in ATP rankings for six weeks.

The 42-year-old stressed today: "I never officially announced my retirement, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to call it (my participation in the ATP Challenger event in Braunschweig) a comeback."

Muster argued he was "just back from a long holiday."

Asked why he decided to take part in the tournament, he explained: "I just love to play. I love the competition. It’s not about garnering world ranking points for me."

Muster – who competed in the ATP Seniors Tour over the past few years – said he "wants to show my best tennis and see where it will all take me."

The father-of-one, who married a second time in April, said he will take part in the 150,000 US dollar Nord LB Open’s single and double event – and revealed he could imagine competing in other tournaments later this year.

Muster is regarded as one of the hardest workers in professional tennis.

The Leibnitz-born former Austrian Davis Cup team captain dominated headlines across the world when he restarted training just two weeks after a drink driver crashed into him in Key Biscayne in the United States in 1989.

Both the cruciate and side ligaments of Muster’s left knee were demolished, and doctors warned Muster he might not be able to walk again.

Pictures showing the clay court ace hitting balls on the court while seated, with his left leg in a cast in a special bar, hit page one in papers around the globe. Some contestants accused Muster of a clever publicity stunt, but the critics were silenced when Muster came back in a remarkable manner.

Only half a year after the car crash, Muster played his first match – an exhibition against Ivan Lendl, the Czech ace he would have faced in the Key Biscayne final.

After 1999, Muster established his "Toms" fashion brand and a wine trade called "Tom's Wine".