Michael
Westphal
Male
Germany
1965-02-19
Hamburg, West-Germany
1991-06-16
Hamburg, Germany
The following piece was translated and slightly adapted from the Wikipedia entry in German on Michael Westphal, which can be accessed via the following link: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Westphal
Michael Westphal started playing tennis at the age of nine, and in 1980 won the boys’ singles title at the European Under 16 Junior Championships. He later reached a career high of No. 49 in the ATP singles and No. 293 in the ATP doubles rankings. Westphal was a member of both the Pinneberg Tennis Club and the Hamburg Klipper Tennis and Hockey Club (THC).
Westphal became known to the wider public in West Germany through his appearances in the West German Davis Cup team. Between 1982 and 1986, he represented his country in 19 singles matches. His biggest success as a member of the West German Davis Cup team came in 1985 when, in the semi-final against Czechoslovakia, he defeated Tomáš Šmíd in five sets: 6-8, 1-6, 7-5, 11-9, 17-15. The match lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes, and its 85 games are the most played in a Davis Cup singles rubber. West Germany won the semi-final tie 5-0, but lost to Sweden in the final by 3 rubbers to 2.
In July 1989, an article in the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper stated that Westphal “had not been able to train for seven months because of a mysterious viral illness”, and that he had lost almost ten kilogrammes of body weight. Westphal himself said at the time: “I can’t play tennis at the moment, I have to be very careful.”
Westphal subsequently worked as a representative for a company selling spirits. In January 1991, Westphal was invited to take part in an invitational tournament in Hamburg but, citing a back injury, later withdrew before the tournament started. Westphal died of an AIDS-related illness on the night of 20 June 1991 at the age of 26. He was buried in the Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg. According to his partner, the actress Jessica Stockmann, Westphal contracted HIV while being unfaithful.
When Westphal died, doctors stated that the cause was an unspecified viral illness. In 2001, ten years after his death and on a German talk show, Jessica Stockmann spoke for the first time about the real cause of Westphal’s death. (However, as early as 28 November 1991 Bild newspaper had carried a headline stating that Westphal died as a result of AIDS.) His illness, which had been diagnosed in 1988, was kept secret from the public for fear that he would be ostracised.
The Michael Westphal Award, which is given to people who have contributed to the sport of tennis, is named after the late player. His partner of many years, Jessica Stockmann, later married another tennis player, Michael Stich.
1980 - 1989
5
236
133
1983 - Travemünde International (Amateur)
1983 - German Grand Prix Masters (Open)
1982 - Lingen General Tournament (Open)
1982 - Hamburg Closed Championships (Amateur)
1982 - Grunewald (Amateur)
Round 1
John McEnroe 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
7-5
2-6
6-2
Round 1
Ramesh Krishnan 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Libor Pimek
7-5
5-7
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Jimmy Connors 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
3-6
7-6
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Florin Segarceanu
7-5
6-4
6-7
7-6
Round 2
Greg Holmes 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
7-6
7-5
4-6
6-2
Round 1
Ivan Lendl 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Fernando Luna
0-6
7-5
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Tim Wilkison
6-1
7-6
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jimmy Arias
7-6
6-4
Quarterfinals
Henrik Sundstrom 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Kent Carlsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Thomas Muster
7-6
6-7
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Horst Skoff
6-4
1-6
6-2
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Stefan Simonsson
7-6
6-7
7-6
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Kent Carlsson
7-6
6-3
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Marian Vajda
7-6
6-3
Final
Pavel Slozil 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-5
6-2
Round 1
Victor Pecci 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-7
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Greg Holmes
7-6
6-4
Round 2
Emilio Sanchez 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-0
Round 1
Jakob Hlasek 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Heinz Gunthardt
1-6
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Horacio de la Pena
5-7
6-3
6-2
Round 3
Mats Wilander 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Dietrich Wolter
4-6
6-3
6-4
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ulrich (Ulli) Marten
6-2
6-7
6-3
Quarterfinals
Tore Meinecke 1 *
Michael Westphal
2-6
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
unknown
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Manfred Jungnitsch
6-2
7-5
Quarterfinals
Klaus Eberhard 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-2
3-6
2-6
6-1
Round 1
Miloslav Mecir sr 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
6-2
Round 1
Miloslav Mecir sr 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jay J. Lapidus
6-4
6-4
Round 2
Greg Holmes 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jaromir Becka Jr.
4-6
7-6
6-0
Round 2
Jan Gunnarsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
4-6
6-2
Round 1
Jaime Yzaga 1 *
Michael Westphal
5-7
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Florin Segarceanu
4-6
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Anders Jarryd
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
Jan Gunnarsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
6-2
Round 1
Scott Davis 1 *
Michael Westphal
5-7
6-4
6-2
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Libor Pimek
4-6
6-1
7-6
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jakob Hlasek
6-1
6-7
7-6
Poule
Paul McNamee 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-3
Poule
José Higueras 1 *
Michael Westphal
5-7
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Thierry Tulasne 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-0
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Eric Korita
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Joakim Nystrom 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-3
Round 1
Mike Bauer 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
7-5
Round 1
Johan C. Kriek 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-0
2-6
6-7
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Mansour Bahrami
4-6
7-6
6-3
6-4
Round 2
Jan Gunnarsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
0-6
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Ken Flach 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-7
7-5
3-6
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Gap-Taik Ro
6-3
7-5
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Eric Amend
7-5
6-2
Quarterfinals
Jimmy Arias 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-5
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ricky Brown
1-6
6-3
6-1
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Roberto Arguello
3-6
7-6
6-0
Round 3
Andres Gomez 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
7-5
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Pavel Slozil
6-3
6-4
Round 2
Tomas Smid 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
7-6
Round 1
Peter Elter 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Brian Teacher
3-6
7-5
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Boris Becker
6-7
6-3
7-5
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Chip Hooper
6-2
7-6
Semifinals
Gene Mayer 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-7
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Balazs Taroczy
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Bill Scanlon 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Andrei Chesnokov 1 *
Michael Westphal
2-6
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Bruce Brescia
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Mel Purcell 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Florin Segarceanu 1 *
Michael Westphal
1-6
7-6
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Shlomo Glickstein
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Henri Leconte 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-7
6-1
7-5
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Shakhar Perkiss
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Mats Wilander 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-2
Poule
Joakim Nystrom 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-3
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Alexander Mikhailovich Zverev
7-6
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Matthew N. (Matt) Doyle
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Stefan Edberg 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
7-6
6-3
Quarterfinals
Jaromir Becka Jr. 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Slobodan Zivojinovic
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Pavel Slozil
6-1
6-4
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ricky Osterthun
7-5
6-4
Semifinals
Mark Dickson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
7-6
Semifinals
Chip Hooper 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-2
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Juan Aguilera
6-2
6-2
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Vitas Gerulaitis
6-3
7-6
Poule
Patrick McEnroe 1 *
Michael Westphal
8-6
Round 1
Jacques Manset 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Florin Segarceanu
6-4
7-5
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Paul Annacone
7-6
6-4
Round 3
Vijay Amritraj 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
John Mattke
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Rand R. Evett
7-5
6-3
Round 3
Daniel (Danny) Saltz 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
4-6
6-1
Round 1
Todd Nelson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Loic Courteau
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jonas B. Svensson Jr.
6-4
6-4
Round 4
Trevor Allan 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-5
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
John Van Nostrand
6-3
3-6
6-3
Round 2
Mark Dickson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Tim Gullikson
7-6
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Glenn W. Layendecker
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Mike De Palmer
6-4
7-6
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Vincent Van Patten
6-0
6-1
Final
Johan C. Kriek 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Shlomo Glickstein 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
2-6
7-6
6-1
6-0
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jonathan Canter
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Juan Avendano 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
3-6
6-3
Round 1
Pender Murphy 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Trey H. Waltke
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Eric H. Fromm 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
1-6
6-2
Round 1
Johan C. Kriek 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Max Wunschig
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Hans Engert jr
2-6
7-6
6-2
Quarterfinals
Klaus Eberhard 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Alejandro Gattiker
6-1
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Claudio Mezzadri
6-4
5-7
6-1
Quarterfinals
Wojtek Fibak 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-4
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Nick Saviano
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Jimmy Connors 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Eric Jelen
4-6
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jairo Velasco Sr.
6-4
3-6
6-2
Quarterfinals
Joakim Nystrom 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-7
6-2
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ronnie Bathman
6-3
6-1
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jose Lopez Maeso
6-1
6-3
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jakob Hlasek
6-2
6-1
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Simone Colombo
6-4
6-4
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Rolf Gehring
7-5
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Brian Gottfried
6-3
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Mike Brunnberg
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
Eric Korita 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
7-6
Round 1
Dieter Jöhle 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Dirk Vestweber 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Tian Viljoen
2-6
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Stuart M. Bale
6-3
3-6
6-1
Round 3
Raul Viver 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
2-6
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Gabriel Mattos
6-3
6-1
Round 2
John J. Ross 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
3-6
7-6
Round 1
Stefan Simonsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
5-7
6-4
7-5
Round 1
Joakim Nystrom 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
6-2
6-3
Semifinals
Jan Gunnarsson 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-4
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Jaroslav Navratil
3-6
6-2
6-3
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Robert Reininger
4-6
6-1
6-3
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Richard Lewis
6-3
6-1
Poule
Robert Reininger 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-3
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Alexander Mikhailovich Zverev
6-4
3-6
6-4
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Vadim Borisov
7-5
6-4
Poule
Christopher J. (Buster) Mottram 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-1
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Hansjorg Schwaier
1-6
6-4
6-1
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Karl Meiler
6-4
6-2
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Rolf Gehring
6-4
7-5
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Karl Meiler
6-3
7-5
Poule
Michael Westphal 1 *
Stefan Hermann
7-5
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Klaus Langenbach
3-6
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Jochen Settelmayer 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
3-6
6-1
Round 1
Fernando Luna 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
4-6
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Juan Avendano
7-6
6-2
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Kevin Kerns
6-4
7-6
Quarterfinals
Vitas Gerulaitis 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Gustavo Tiberti
4-6
6-1
7-5
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Dan Cassidy
7-5
6-3
Round 3
Jose Lopez Maeso 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Heinz Gunthardt 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Per-Anders Lindeborg
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Hartmut Kirchhubel
6-3
7-5
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Carsten Schaudienst
6-1
6-4
Semifinals
Peter Elter 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
7-6
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Udo Riglewski
6-3
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Helmut Beerman
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Karl Meiler
6-4
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Werner Zirngibl
1-6
7-5
6-0
6-3
Final
Hans Dieter Beutel 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Alexander (Sandy) Mayer 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
7-5
7-5
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Stefan Knerr
6-1
6-0
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Klaus Eberhard
6-1
7-5
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ulrich (Ulli) Marten
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Wolfgang Popp
4-6
7-6
6-0
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Sean Sorensen
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Norbert Henn
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Dirk Vestweber
6-2
4-6
6-3
Quarterfinals
Wolfgang Popp 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
0-6
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Tim Mayotte
4-6
6-4
7-5
Round 2
Brad Gilbert 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
3-6
6-4
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Thies Roepcke
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
Werner Zirngibl 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Slobodan Zivojinovic 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-4
6-3
Final
Michael Westphal 1 *
Tore Meinecke
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Tomas Smid 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Dominique Bedel 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Rolf Pinner
7-5
6-3
Round 2
Helmut Beerman 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Slobodan Zivojinovic
6-0
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Bill Scanlon
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Shlomo Glickstein
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
Tomas Smid 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Antonio Zapata
7-5
6-1
Round 2
Fernando Luna 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Helmut Beerman
6-1
6-4
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Lars Elvstrom
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Sean Sorensen 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-7
6-4
7-5
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Ben Testerman
6-2
3-6
6-1
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Bernhard Pils
6-1
6-2
Round 3
Pascal Portes 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Eddie Edwards 1 *
Michael Westphal
2-6
6-2
7-6
Round 1
Bernie Mitton 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-4
6-7
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Hans Dieter Beutel
7-5
6-2
Round 2
Pascal Portes 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Charles (Buzz) Strode
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Craig J. Wittus
6-4
7-5
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Glenn Michibata
4-6
6-1
7-6
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Kenneth B. (Butch) Walts
5-7
6-3
6-3
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Francesco Cancellotti
4-6
6-0
6-2
Round 4
Michael Westphal 1 *
Eduardo Oncins
6-4
7-6
Round 1
Harald Theissen 1 *
Michael Westphal
3-6
6-2
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Sever Muresan (Mureșan)
7-6
6-4
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Thierry Pham
6-3
6-3
Round 3
Michael Westphal 1 *
Christoph Zipf
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
John Losito
6-2
6-2
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Sebastian Grosser
3-6
6-2
6-4
Semifinals
Thies Roepcke 1 *
Michael Westphal
2-6
6-1
6-2
Round 1
Graham Espley-Jones 1 *
Michael Westphal
7-6
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Guillermo Stevens
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Rob Hak 1 *
Michael Westphal
4-6
6-1
6-4
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Martin Koek
7-6
2-6
6-3
Round 2
Michael Westphal 1 *
Marc Albert
6-4
6-7
6-4
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Bruce Kleege
1-6
6-4
7-5
Semifinals
Andy Kohlberg 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Andy Kohlberg 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-0
6-1
Round 1
Michael Westphal 1 *
Willy Weyel
7-6
5-7
6-3
Quarterfinals
Michael Westphal 1 *
Rolf Dieter Müller
6-1
6-3
Semifinals
Ulrich (Ulli) Marten 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-3
1-6
7-5
Round 1
Lajos Levai 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Lajos Levai 1 *
Michael Westphal
6-2
6-1