"We are all good actors" - Germany's No. 3 tennis player opens up about the harsh hidden reality of the sport in emotional interview

Germany's No. 3-ranked tennis player, Jan-Lennard Struff, shared his honest reaction to the harsh reality of emotional and physical challenges of a player during a tour.

During his recent appearance on a podcast, Struff shared that to compete at the highest level, a professional needs to constantly monitor their body, mind while living up to the expectations. This is why they may not be at their best every time they take the court.

"I think we're all good actors, too," Struff said. "We athletes and tennis players. I don't think that everyone feels good all the time, absolutely not. In a year, when I play around 50 matches, I'd say for 5 or 6 of them it is 100% great. The rest is just about dealing with what's available, dealing with what I have today, what I can play, how I'm feeling mentally, and pushing through."

Struff's candid reflection holds weight. It's a message to fans and media not to judge or mock a player just because he's losing. There's a lot that happens behind the scenes that contributes to the results.

Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff gearing up for Hellenic Championships

Jan-Lennard Struff will feature in the 2025 Hellenic Championship, also known as the Vanda Pharmaceutical Hellenic Championship, which is played in Athens, Greece. The matches of the tournament will be played on indoor hardcourts at the OAKA Basketball Arena from 2 November to 8 November 2025.

In the ATP 250 qualifying event in Athens, he defeated Mark Lajal (7-6, 7-5) and Henry Bernet (4-6, 6-4, 6-3) to make the main draw of the Hellenic Championships.

In the main draw, he'll face Alexandre Müller in the first round.

Struff had a challenging season in 2025, struggling to make deep runs in the tournament. However, there were also times when he displayed his best version on the court. Like in Wimbledon, he stunned Félix Auger‑Aliassime in four sets.

Recently, at the 2025 US Open, he faced 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the Round of 16. The Serb overpowered Struff easily, winning the game 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

"Unfortunately, Novak demolished me. He barely made errors, and I could not attack. I tried several times to get back into the game, but it was really difficult. He did not give me any chance," Struff said via Tennis World USA.

It remains to be seen if Struff does well in the tournament in Athens.