Under a clear blue sky and with a fantastic atmosphere, the Bitpanda Hamburg Open welcomed a large number of tennis-enthusiastic women on Tuesday for this year’s Ladies Day.

A highlight beyond the world-class tennis action was the “Talk & Toast” on the Fan Stage. Bitpanda Hamburg Open presenter Caro Deecke hosted an inspiring conversation with four outstanding female athletes, who shared personal stories about their journeys in elite sport. Candid, relatable and powerful – they opened up about their challenges, achievements, and the changes that are still urgently needed.

Lise Petersen began her sporting career in handball before transitioning to athletics. At just 15 years old, she made history by winning gold in javelin at the U17 World Championships. Since then, she has competed at the 2020 Paralympic Games and the 2023 World Championships, among others.

Leonie Körtzinger discovered her love for the sand early on after starting out in indoor volleyball. As a teenager, she became the U19 runner-up in beach volleyball and made one of her biggest career appearances at the 2019 World Championships right here at Rothenbaum. She has also shared the court with Olympic champion Laura Ludwig.

Anne Schröder played for many years with the German national hockey team and Club an der Alster. She won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and helped the team reach third place in the group stage of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Louise Wieland specializes in the 100 and 200-meter sprints. A multiple medalist at German Indoor Championships, she secured a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics as part of the relay team at the World Relays in the Bahamas.

The talk made one thing very clear: performance alone often isn’t enough for women in sport. The conversation centered around systemic barriers, outdated role models, and the need for greater visibility.

“Women in sport have to juggle so many things: education, career after sport, family planning – and still be expected to perform like everyone else,” said Körtzinger. “Men simply don’t have to think about some of these things – but we do. What if I want to become a mother? How will that impact my contracts?”

Petersen also spoke openly about the issue of sponsorship: “Contracts are often linked to performance and high-level competition appearances – but what happens if I have to sit out a season due to pregnancy? We need more security for female athletes.”

Schröder emphasized the importance of mutual support: “We need more women in decision-making positions – including in sponsorship. So that more women can be supported by women. It shouldn’t be about competition among ourselves, but about working together.”

Petersen also delivered a powerful message: “At my Paralympic test event in Paris last year, there were 57,000 people in the stadium – that shows our sport is being seen. But visibility doesn’t come by itself – we have to stay loud.”

Ladies Day also made its mark on Centre Court: during all four matches of the day, the coin tosses were conducted by strong female figures – including three Female City Ambassadors from the City of Hamburg and a local influencer.