Christopher Patzanovsky came to the University of Memphis in 2015 at the age 17 from Teublitz, a small town in Germany. Even though he was 2,000 miles and an ocean away from his hometown, Memphis felt like home.
It was his welcoming teammates, his persistent coaches — Paul Goebel and Chris Doer — and his eventual love for football games at Liberty Bowl Stadium that made playing tennis at Memphis the right place to spend four years.
Patzanovsky said you can go to the fanciest college and have the nicest facilities, but “if the coaches aren't great for you, you're not going to become a better tennis player. I was very lucky with them.”
The height of his college tennis career came in a match against Northwestern, playing the first position. Chris recalls this specific match because Northwestern was a school he considered playing for until they withdrew their scholarship offer after not being sure of his potential.
Fast forward to his senior year at the UofM. He was proving his doubters wrong. Chris was playing the first position and leading his team, a goal he has had since he was a freshman.
“I'll never forget that match point,” he said. “That was amazing.”
For Patzanovsky, it was a great feeling of accomplishment and a great win for his team.
Patzanovsky, who graduated in the spring of 2019 and has since moved back home to Germany, is playing tennis professionally. He is traveling to tournaments around Germany, earning prize money along the way.
Germany, a country that managed COVID-19 effectively, has resumed their tennis tours and some matches still bring in crowds. For some Germans, a tournament coming to town with players from all over the country, along with others, is exciting.
“Even though it's not (Novak) Djokovic and (Roger) Federer playing, they still love the tennis that they see," he said.
Patzanovsky, who is only starting his climb through the ranks as a professional, said some tennis players can make a decent living from these smaller tournaments, without having to leave Germany or going to advanced tournaments that require you to travel further and stay longer for sometimes less money.
“It's one, two nights in a hotel,” he said. “You know for the winner 800 euros, (about $1,000) that's incredible," he said.
But going pro is not cheap, Patzavonsky said. Playing at the college level, there were many resources at his disposal from coaching, training facilities, practices and travel expenses that the university covered.
“As soon as you go pro in tennis, you're all on your own,” he said. “You've got to find a way to finance yourself, either privately or maybe you're lucky enough to find a sponsor. ”
Patzanovsky hopes to one day play bigger tournaments. He said he has got a long way to go before he can play in the U.S. Open Grand Slam, with top-ranked tennis professionals.
“You take all the points and take all the prize money and suddenly can fund yourself again,” he said. “You climb up the rankings, and that's how it goes. So, some of it is also luck. It's just how it is sadly, but without trying you can never find out.”
