A breakthrough years in the making

Jan-Lennard Struff has spent more than a decade on the tennis tour, but Wimbledon has now given him the biggest moment of his career.

At 36, the German has reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final, becoming one of the surprise stories of this year’s tournament. Ranked 74th in the world, Struff has arrived in the last eight at SW19 after a run built on endurance, heavy serving and stubborn refusal to disappear.

According to WELT, Struff is the oldest player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time.

It is a remarkable milestone for a player who has long been respected on tour, but who had never previously gone this deep at one of the sport’s four biggest events.

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Hurkacz exit ends dramatic comeback

Struff reached the quarter-finals after a dramatic fourth-round match against Hubert Hurkacz.

The Pole won the opening two sets, but Struff fought his way back before Hurkacz was forced to retire injured in the fifth set. The match ended with Struff leading 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-5, 4-2.

“Only the best for Hubi,” Struff said afterwards. “The ending was tough.”

The victory came after Struff had already made a major statement earlier in the tournament by beating Daniil Medvedev in the third round. That result showed this was not only a story of luck, even if Hurkacz’s injury shaped the final moments of the fourth-round match.

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Zverev praises “teddy bear” Struff

Struff’s run has also been warmly received by his German colleagues.

According to dpa via WELT, Alexander Zverev said: “That’s what I love about Struffi. He can lose in the first round 37 times in a row and then suddenly play a Grand Slam quarter-final.”

Zverev also described Struff as a “teddy bear” with “not a gram of evil in him”.

The affection reflects Struff’s reputation on tour. He has been a long-serving Davis Cup player for Germany and is known as a popular figure among teammates, even during seasons when results have not matched his effort.

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A career that refused to fade

Struff’s late surge is not entirely without warning.

He reached his first Masters 1000 final in Madrid in 2023 and climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 21 that same year. In 2024, he finally won his first ATP Tour title on home soil in Munich.

According to the ATP Tour, Struff defeated Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-3 in that Munich final and became the third-oldest first-time champion in ATP Tour history.

That title was proof that his persistence could still produce something tangible. Wimbledon has now taken that idea even further.

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Sinner stands in the way

The reward for Struff is also the hardest possible test.

According to AS, Jannik Sinner beat Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 7-6 (0), 6-3 to set up the quarter-final against Struff.

The Italian is world No. 1 and the defending Wimbledon champion, and he has won all three previous meetings with Struff. Sinner still warned that the German’s aggressive game can make him dangerous, saying he has “a lot of respect” for him.

For Struff, the challenge is enormous. But after waiting this long for a Grand Slam quarter-final, he has already shown that timing is not always everything in tennis.

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Sometimes, the breakthrough simply arrives late.