Usually … that’s how many stories about the Hamburg European Open begin these days. Because the world tennis elite was supposed to gather for the 114th time from July 11th to 19th for the traditional tournament at Rothenbaum in Hamburg. But everything will be different in 2020. For more than four months, the corona virus pandemic has ensured that operations on the tennis tour are at a standstill and that the “tournament family” at Rothenbaum cannot see each other again this year. We are therefore presenting a few faces of our tournament this week and reporting on how they are doing without their beloved tournament.

It starts with the person who has been the first point of contact at the Rothenbaum facility for eleven years now when it comes to all medical questions of tennis professionals, employees and spectators. Orthopedist Dr. Voker Carrero and his team move into the catacombs of the Rothenbaum Stadium every year and are on hand to help and support the tennis cracks around the clock. “I don’t know what to do without my Rothenbaum family in the tournament week. I really miss the tournament. Now, of course, I have a little more time for my patients in the practice and after the strenuous Corona time I will go on vacation and go to Lake Garda, ”reports Carrero, who is also the team doctor of FC St. Pauli in 2nd football -Bundesliga operates. “It was a tough season. But I would certainly still have had the strength for the tournament, ”added the 52-year-old, who himself is swinging the racket for men 40 of the TC Tangstedt in the Schleswig-Holstein League. “We are a tennis-loving family, my children Antonia and Louis also play tennis,” says the “Doc”, who has been around a lot in the sports world.

For five years he looked after the puck hunters of the Hamburg Freezers and was also part of the Crocodiles Hamburg team. Carrero also worked as a ring doctor for the Federation of German Professional Boxers for over twelve years. Last year, Lübeck, who was born as a tournament doctor, also took part in the Beach Volleyball World Championship on Rothenbaum. But he lost his heart to tennis forever: “Tennis is just my passion. There can be as much football as you want. For me, tennis is just about everything. “