KOBLENZ, February 10, 2026
At just 22 years old, Tom Gentzsch from Duisburg is steadily carving out his place in professional tennis. The German has already reached a career-high ranking of world No. 251 and collected seven titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour – four of them in the past season alone. His progress was on full display at the Koblenz Tennis Open, where he reached his first ATP Challenger final, narrowly losing to Pavel Kotov after a hard-fought three-set battle in which he even held two championship points.
Reaching that final marked a significant step forward in his career. “Yes, definitely,” Gentzsch said. “I’ve already reached two quarterfinals this season and I was in the semifinals in Genoa last year. To reach a final in Germany is obviously something special. There are a lot of people here and it’s a lot of fun to play. Plus, my family is here.”
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Many German tennis fans considered Gentzsch one of the standout players of the 2025 season. Looking back, he points to steady improvement rather than one single breakthrough moment. “I’ve developed further on the court. The start of the season wasn’t very promising, but I improved my game once the clay-court season started,” he explained. One match, however, stands out in particular: the semifinal against Luciano Darderi at the Challenger in Genoa. “Even though it was the end of a winning streak, that semifinal was an absolute highlight. It was a great match in a full stadium. I learned that on certain days I can also compete with a Top 30 player. That makes me confident to take the next step. I’m hungry to play and to win more matches.”
Asked to describe his own playing style, Gentzsch keeps it simple: “Offensive, but also versatile.” At the same time, he is clear about where there is still room for improvement. “I still have to work on my consistency in rallies. I need more stability there. Serve and forehand—everything that goes forward—are more among my strengths.” Physical work is also a key focus. “I’m working a lot on fitness right now, because if you want to keep up with these guys over a longer distance, every little detail matters.”
Gentzsch is based near Düsseldorf and has been training for two years at the national training center in Kamen with (German Tennis Federation) DTB coach Jan Velthuis. “We’ve made good progress and overall things are going very well,” he said about his current setup.
Tennis has always been part of his life. His father played in the Regionalliga and is still active in the Men’s 50 team at TC Bredeney. “My parents paved the way for tennis,” Gentzsch said. “I developed my big competitive drive through my older brother, because we were always battling each other.”
Like many players of his generation, he grew up with clear role models. “I especially liked the fighting spirit of Rafael Nadal. But I also admired the elegance of Roger Federer,” he said.
As for surfaces, Gentzsch feels most at home on clay and outdoor hard courts. “This is my first indoor final,” he noted, underlining again how special the week in Koblenz was for him.
Away from the court, his life still revolves largely around the sport. “I actually deal a lot with tennis and I’m a fan of Fortuna Düsseldorf. Otherwise, I like to meet friends. I have four siblings, and we try to use the short time together at home to spend it together.”
With his first ATP Challenger final now behind him and clear goals ahead, Tom Gentzsch looks ready to build on this milestone and keep pushing toward the next level of his career.
