Less than 20 hours after his singles first-round match on Thursday evening, emotions were still running high for Langmann. “What happened yesterday was indescribable. The stands were full, people were gathered all around the court, and the atmosphere gave me goosebumps. Even though the result wasn’t what I’d hoped for, those are moments I’ll never forget,” said Langmann.
The first to join him on stage was Gordon Reid from Great Britain – 29-time Grand Slam champion, double Paralympic gold medalist, and top seed at the wheelchair tennis event in Vienna. “When planning my season, I always look for events that have a real vision. Here in Vienna, I immediately felt that something big could grow. I’m happy to help make that happen,” explained Reid, describing why he chose to come to Vienna.
Reid knows just how special wheelchair tennis is – after all, he regularly competes on the world’s biggest stages at the Grand Slams, something still rare for many other para-sports. “I always say we’re the best Paralympic sport,” Reid said. “We play at the Grand Slams, in the biggest tennis stadiums in the world, and the exposure is incredible. Still, there’s room for improvement in some areas – as in every sport.”
This sentiment was echoed by Claudia Lösch, two-time Paralympic champion in para alpine skiing. The Lower Austrian, now based in Tyrol, once donated the proceeds of a charity event to the Nico Langmann Foundation. “What’s been organized here at the Erste Bank Open is the best possible promotion for the entire para-sport community. I’m following it closely, and I have to say – hats off! In other sports like para-skiing, we face much bigger challenges. The circumstances are different, but often it also comes down to having people with vision – like the ones here.”
That vision came from tournament director Herwig Straka and his team, who, together with the Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) and win2day, made it possible for a wheelchair tennis event to be held for the first time at Austria’s biggest tennis tournament. “We quickly agreed that we wanted to make this happen,” said Straka. “Our goal is for the event to grow over time. The Marx Halle is the perfect venue – both tennis and wheelchair tennis are played and trained here, and fans can move around freely.” He drew a positive midweek conclusion before the weekend finals: “The feedback has been fantastic – players and fans all feel at home here.”
Langmann, who was eliminated in the singles but is still competing in doubles on Friday and Saturday, can hardly believe how far things have come. “As a little boy with a disability sitting in the stands at the Stadthalle, I never imagined that one day I’d play as part of the Erste Bank Open. If a ‘little Nico’ sees us out here today, it becomes normal – and that’s exactly how it should be.”
To close the event, the action moved to the Fairplay Court, where Langmann introduced his sport to the audience. Among those who tried their hand at wheelchair tennis were Claudia Lösch, para-swimmer Andreas Ernhofer, para-canoeist Markus “Mendy” Swoboda, and para-archer Michael Meier. Even a few fans took the chance to hit some balls alongside Langmann. “You can immediately see the coordination and ball sense these athletes have – they pick it up so quickly,” Langmann laughed. “Now I think it’s my turn to try their sports sometime.”
