For years he was called deaf on the circuit, but he himself admits that his condition is not that serious. This Friday, he will face the number one in the country.
The rival of Nicolás Jarry (87th) in the quarter-finals of the Chile Open is a unique character on the circuit. German and former world 92, Yannick Hanfmann (153rd) suffers from a congenital hearing problem which causes him to have only 60% hearing capacity in each of his ears, causing the astonishment of all those who know his story.
But fortunately for him, this condition did not complicate his sports career. With eight years of professionalism, he managed to play two ATP finals (Kitzbühel 2020 and Gstaad 2017) and this year he entered the Australian Open main draw after passing qualifying.
In fact, one of the first times he brought up this situation was at Roland Garros 2019, when he had to face Rafael Nadal in the second round. “Sometimes it’s an advantage on the track. I don’t hear much of what’s going on, but I don’t think that in tennis it’s a big handicap. For me, everything is like noise except when there is a lot of shouting and I think that this Monday (referring to the match against the Spaniards) I will be able to appreciate the atmosphere that is created in the Philippe Chatrier “, he had mentioned at that time.
But that wasn’t the last time he spoke about it openly. In an interview with Punto de Break at the end of 2019, Hanfmann spoke further about the condition, clarifying that he is not 100% deaf and it is funny that the media often highlights this on the player. “I got a little used to that kind of headlines, I know how newspapers work these days. I am 60% hard of hearing, but it depends on the tone of each voice. For example, if I speak to you, I pay attention to your lips, but since you have a deep voice, it is easy for me to understand. It’s different when someone’s behind me, or the noise of the track, I don’t hear that “, he pointed out to the specialized media in Spain.
Statement accompanied by a brief explanation of what it is like for him to be on the track. “I think in tennis it can be an advantage because I don’t really hear what’s going on in the stadium. Sometimes I know there’s a lot of noise, but I can’t catch every scream, every conversation that’s going on. In a way, it’s an advantage. I don’t know what disadvantages it may have because I don’t know what people like you are able to hear, I don’t know how it feels to hear 100% because I grew up with it. I don’t think I’m too disadvantaged because otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am. “, he added.
A factor that can help him a lot this Friday, since in the two matches that Nicolás Jarry played in this Chilean Open, the public showed strong support. With a full stadium each time, the National have found a lot of help in what the supporters are doing. “I felt the audience very present and active. It helped me through some tough times, I needed a bit more energy than I could get on my own and I’m very grateful to those who came. There was a lot of energy on the pitch.” commented on the 87th in the world after his victory over Schwartzman.
Note that the Argentinian even made an open criticism of the behavior of the national supporters during the match, since he accused a “brutal” atmosphere against him, explaining that once the match was over, he received many insults . During its development, there were also many moments of tension due to the incessant cries of the Chilean spectators.
Something that Yannick Hanfmann cares little about. He is living one of the best weeks of his career at the ATP level and has just returned to the road Pedro Martinez (117th) and Roberto Carballes Baena (74th ). All after crossing the qualifying table.
And it is that Santiago is a key point for the German, mainly because of the conditions in which they play against San Carlos de Apoquindo. With a faster-than-usual court due to the height, the current 153 on the planet achieved great results. Of course, for the quarter-finals will be a change. He will no longer play in the first teams of the day, but will continue to play the duel, probably, in prime time. Otherwise, when the sun begins to set and therefore the court slows down.
Jarry for his part will seek to put an end to this dry confidence. He has a great chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of an ATP tournament for the second week in a row and in doing so, continue to earn points to remain number one in Chile. You’ll have all 5,000 participants on your side, even if Hanfmann doesn’t notice.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
