In 2015, Michael Berrer announced that he would be playing his last year on the ATP Tour. By the first week of January, the tall German lefty had beaten world No. 3 and tennis legend Rafael Nadal 1-6 6-3 6-4 at the Qatar Open for the best win of his life.

This victory epitomised Berrer's fighting spirit across a long career – he reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 42 and also triumphed against the likes of Tomas Berdych and Nikolay Davydenko.

Now aged 42, Berrer remains hungry to compete in what he calls "the greatest sport and school for life". From playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon and representing Germany in Davis Cup, Berrer is now destroying the field at the ITF Masters World Individual Championships in Manavgat, Antalya, Türkiye.

But what makes this elite performer tick, and what still motivates him to compete? When asked to declare the highlight of his career, Berrer thinks hard – there were many.

"That is actually a very difficult question because I have to admit that I have enjoyed every single day of my tennis career,” Berrer tells itftennis.com.

“Sounds unbelievable, but being a tennis player has allowed me to travel around the world, meet interesting people and cultures, make a living from playing my favourite sport and even get an education [Bachelor Degree in Psychology with a scholarship from the ATP].”

It must be difficult to choose one moment in a career that, alongside the win over Nadal, took in two ATP finals (both in Zagreb). Berrer points out that it is, "the matches or experiences that are, maybe less interesting, but have great value for me" that stand out.

The German reels off "successfully going through qualies at Wimbledon, playing Davis Cup for Germany and playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon" as a selection of his best moments on Tour. 

After reminiscing about the past, attention turns to the present. Berrer has come to Türkiye to compete in the 30+ singles – his first ITF Masters tournament. What made such an accomplished player decide to come and play the ITF Masters World Championships?

“I enjoy tennis and I still try to get on court as often as possible,” he added. “In my job, as a corporate coach, I have the opportunity to practice on a constant basis, but I am also a person who needs goals in his life.

“When I heard about the World Championships for the first time three years ago, I was curious, then motivated and after it was interrupted by Corona, I am now finally here. It is really amazing, the atmosphere, the organisation and the competition. That’s something that motivates me to stay fit."

Having a player of Berrer's calibre at the ITF Masters World Championships is motivational for all the players involved. And, unfortunately for his fellow competitors, the German will not be taking any prisoners this week. 

"I have decided to play in the Men’s 30 event, which is a challenge because I am almost 43, but I like the challenge,” he added.

“I know many players, however I am surprised and thrilled to see many players who seem to have entered their international careers a little later in their life. I admire that and all players here share a true passion for the sport, which is awesome."

And the key to Berrer's pre-match routine? 

"I try to eat at the right moment, warm-up accordingly and usually do a little meditation before my matches to have a good mindset,” he added. “I believe that it is very important to be properly warmed up before a match or practice, so that I can go all-in from the beginning. 

“I have prepared myself intensely for this week and I am looking forward to the grind."

Clearly, Berrer is still a force to be reckoned with.

Follow all the results here: 2023 ITF Masters 30-35-40-45-50 World Individual Championships