Jonathan Erlich is on a mission to put Israeli tennis back on the map, but he wants to win the Men’s Doubles title at Wimbledon first.
Having won the Australian Open in 2008 with Andy Ram, Erlich is this year partnering Philipp Petzschner, the 2010 champion, and he could face fellow Jewish player Scott Lipsky in round two.
Erlich, 38, played his part in a four-set victory over Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Andreas Seppi earlier in the week, although he admits “there is still room for improvement”.
He said: “Philipp is a former winner here and we both have lots of experience.
"It’s very difficult to gel with someone new but I feel connected to Philipp. I think we can go all the way."
Having seen compatriot Dudi Sela slip out of the Men’s Singles in the opening round, Erlich admits that Israel have
struggled for the past 10 to 15 years” outside of the Davis Cup.
He said: “There is a slight gap at the moment between the top players and the next generation because there are many faults with the system.
"Shahar Peer and Julia Glushko are not in the best shape at the moment, but we have three or four good juniors with the potential to come through."
Erlich is already planning life after tennis and he said: “The end is close as it’s very hard being away from my wife and children.
"After I stop playing I would like to open a new academy with Andy Ram to help revive tennis in Israel. We see it as a mission for the next 10 to 15 years."
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