BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 6, 2023

Rainer Schuettler

Tatjana Maria

Jule Niemeier

Anna-Lena Friedsam

Team Germany

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Team Germany. We will start with questions.

Q. I'm quite interested in the mix of generations in this team. Just a question for Captain Rainer. I was wondering how useful it is to have a mix of experience and youth in your setup?

CAPTAIN RAINER SCHUETTLER: Well, it's very useful (smiling). No, but I think it's not so important about the generations for me. It's more important that all of them get on well very good, that they are a great team.

They proved it in the last matches that they are fighting for each other, that they enjoy the week together, and that's the most important for me. Not so much the age difference.

Of course it always helps to have experience and to teach especially the younger generation a little bit how to deal with pressure, what to do in certain situations, but out of all the players who are here and the ones who are on their way to here, they have experience. They went through this couple of times. So I think all of them know how to deal with it.

Q. Tatjana, what would be your lesson for some of the younger players in your team?

TATJANA MARIA: No, I think we have a great team spirit. Personally I think that's super important if you play for the team, and we are now here for one week, so it's nice to practice together, yeah, to be out together outside of the court. It's super important.

Yeah, it's a team spirit I think what can make also the difference.

Q. You mentioned that not all of your team is here yet. Can you just talk about how frustrating that has been and also an update on when you think they will be arriving and whether they'll be ready for your first match?

CAPTAIN RAINER SCHUETTLER: Well, first, it is what it is. I mean, Laura, I'm very happy for her. She's in the finals in the doubles at the WTA Finals, so I think for her she will come here with great confidence. It doesn't really matter if she practice one day, two days, so she will be super happy, super confident. That's the most important for her.

Eva is coming today, so she also has some time. We had some problems with flights out of Hamburg yesterday, but they have enough time. They are practicing or she is practicing today and she has still enough time to get ready for the matches. No problem.

Q. So you play France and Italy, a strong group. Can you have a word on France and Italy if you can?

CAPTAIN RAINER SCHUETTLER: Well, I said it before. We are not the favorite in the group, but we are very dangerous. That is very good for us. We don't have the pressure.

Italy, from when you see the ranking, they are a little bit better. Then with Caroline Garcia, they have a top player in France at No. 1. Good for us. We have no pressure. We proved in the past we are always dangerous as a team, so we just go out there, try our best, try to win.

Of course the goal is to manage to survive the group. That's very clear and that's our goal, and then we see what happens. We are ready. Yeah, we see what happens on Thursday and Friday.

Q. Tatjana, very good season behind you. You have won one WTA title and three titles in general. Very successful on the hard courts in recent months. How much optimism does it give you before these Finals?

TATJANA MARIA: Yeah, I had a good year, but I'm confident. I'm fit. That's for me the most important, to enjoy what I do. I try to improve all the time. So with my husband, of course that's our goal, to improve my game to get better and better.

I think, yeah, there are still a lot of things to improve, so that's nice even on this point of my career. Yeah, I'm super happy with the season. Yeah, I try to take this confidence here in this week.

Q. Jule, you had one or two physical issues in the summer. Berlin, for example. Just wondering how the body is at this stage of the year?

JULE NIEMEIER: Yeah, I had problems with the thumb for like a week or ten days after Berlin. Since then, it's pretty good, I have to say. I feel great physically. I don't have any issues. Yeah, I'm ready.

Q. The others, are you all feeling good at the end of the year?

CAPTAIN RAINER SCHUETTLER: I feel good. (Laughter.)

TATJANA MARIA: The most important, Rainer. (Laughter.)

Q. What about you, Anna-Lena?

ANNA-LENA FRIEDSAM: Yeah, I'm feeling fit too. I had also some troubles the last two months, but now I'm ready for the last push. Yeah, I'm happy to play with the girls this week. Yeah, it's always a nice week I'm looking forward to, so yeah.