The hard work paid off, as Brady surged into her first Grand Slam final, finishing runner-up to Naomi Osaka. A left foot injury would sideline her later that season, presenting Pohl—who has previously worked alongside Donna Vekic, Kevin Anderson and Maria Sakkari—with his biggest challenge yet: bringing a player back from an extended layoff.

“The biggest priority is to make sure that I help the athlete keep all the relevant physical attributes of the sport with as little loss to strength, speed, mobility or endurance as possible,” he says. “We not only focus on the injured body part, but also aim to keep them ‘ready’ for the return to their sport at all times, so that other muscles, tendons or joints stay basically unaffected by the time off.”

Pohl was an unlikely candidate to become one of tennis’ most prolific trainers. A former elite boxer, the German first got into track and field at the encouragement of his father, and later took up cross-country and soccer with his twin brother. Personal experience with injuries inspired him to make prevention his profession.

By 2015, he had opened a clinic with business partner Florian Zitzelsberger—Integralis Physiotherapy & Sports Performance—and were the go-to physios for Eckert Tennis, the top-ranked team in the country’s Bundasliga league system.

“There were some high-profile players on the team over the years, such as Karolina Pliskova, Julia Görges, Kirsten Flipkens, Johanna Larsson, Barbora Krejcikova, Angelique Kerber, Tatjana Maria and some others,” he notes, “so it was an incredible chance to join these teams that early in my ‘tennis’ career.”

Tennis allows Pohl to best employ his fitness philosophy, one that combines physiotherapy with athletic training and strength conditioning.