Jan-Lennard Struff claimed his first ATP title at the BMW Open final in Munich, defeating Taylor Fritz with a score of 7-5, 6-3. The victory marked a significant milestone for Struff, who expressed his joy at winning on home soil, stating, 'To do it on home soil is just incredible. I waited so long. I'm 33 years old and played so long on tour. It's just an amazing feeling to do it here in Germany.'
Struff, ranked 28th in the world, had previously faced defeat in three finals but managed to secure the win by converting 5 of 11 break points against Fritz in a match that lasted 1 hour and 19 minutes. Notably, Struff became the third-oldest first-time champion since the ATP tour was established in 1990, achieving this feat at the age of 33 years and 11 months.
In the semifinals, Struff had a dominant performance against defending champion Holger Rune, securing a 6-2, 6-0 victory to advance to the final. On the other hand, Fritz, who was competing in his first tour-level final on clay, was unable to clinch the title. The American player, seeking his second trophy of the season after a previous win at Delray Beach, faced a tough challenge against Struff in the final.
