It was the upset of the day: 17-year-old Justin Engel caused a major stir on Monday evening at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open, defeating veteran Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) in an all-German first-round clash. The win marks Engel’s second career victory on the ATP Tour. “Unbelievable – everything just clicked today. I’m speechless and need some time to let this sink in,” Engel said right after the match.

Adding a unique twist to the story: Struff used to be Engel’s babysitter. The two have known each other for years and share a special bond.

As a reward for his impressive performance, Engel will now face a top-tier challenge in the round of 16: World No. 17 Andrey Rublev awaits. The young German, who is coached by former top pro Philipp Kohlschreiber, will have nothing to lose.

From the very first point, Engel and Struff engaged in a tightly contested battle. Both players went on the offensive from the baseline, but Engel showed no signs of nerves despite the big stage. With aggressive play and confident body language, he matched Struff shot for shot and seized his opportunities with clinical precision in both tiebreaks. Struff, who has struggled for form this season, never found his usual rhythm. “Of course, the nerves can come back, but today I was mentally solid – Philipp really helped me with that,” Engel later said in the mixed zone.

It was a night Engel will never forget – and perhaps the start of something very special in Hamburg. “After today’s match, I definitely have a lot of confidence. I’m playing my best tennis right now, and I want to bring what I’ve worked on in training onto the match court – and enjoy the moment.”