[DutchieGirl]

Yes, Hofmann is a detective. He was the German detective who helped arrest Harnecker when there was all that drama about the cult etc that they said that Harnecker was involved in etc. Patty got involved with him straight after that so they have been together for three years and have been engaged since December 2001. Her parents also didn't like the fact that he is ten years older then her and they just don't seem to like him and can't accept the fact that Patty is living with him. From what I have read Patty and Rainer live in Lausen in a apartment only 22 km away from Patty's parents in Bottmingen and that is why they want to go to Mallorca to get away from them. Hofmann said that the have been planning to move to Mallorca for months but now it is actually happening.

This is all making headlines in Switzerland and I only hope that Patty can sort something out with her folks even if she does decide to stay with Hofmann.

Yes, this is correct. Patty does live in Lausen. I never really "got involved" in Patty's love life - I never paid much attention to it, because I don't really care who she's going out with, and I certainly wouldn't ask her about it, so I don't really know much about Hofmann. But I have met him before (although I have no idea if he speaks English, because he only spoke German when I saw him). I wonder why Patty's parents dislike the guy so much though. I mean OK, the age difference I can see, but ten years these days isn't really a problem. I mean my best friends parents are 15 years apart in age! i also hope that Patty can sort everything out with her family. I had no idea that things were so bad on that front. I mean I know they were so glad when Patty split with Harnecker, but I didn't realise they felt the same way about her being with Hofmann as they did about Harnecker! Methinks some support for Patty would be nice about now!

btw, thanks so much for the info Goran!

 

[DutchieGirl]

I agree with Goran... she may not have the strength or self love to realize she's hooking up with guys who aren't good for her and her tennis has suffered. I remember when she was in the top 20 and playing some really impressive tennis... beating top players. The announcers were saying she was headed for the top ten, the way she was playing. Then all that stuff happened with Harnecker (what a quack!) and her tennis went down the tubes. Did you hear about the needle/skin piercing device he advocated?

She did get into the top ten! EDither #8 or #7 was her highest rank (I think 8). I hope one day she can get back there!!!

 

[DutchieGirl]

She was heartbroken over the loss of her pet cat(or was it dog) in Thailand. Is Patty Schnyder 23 years old?

Yup, she turned 23 on 14th Dec last year!

 

[irma]

I just read an interview with her in the blick and I feel even more for her now. according to her, her parents stole money from her and want to ruin her and she will sue them to court to get her money back.

 

[Guest]

Poor Patty With everything that happens in her life, I guess it's hard for her to focus on her tennis...She started to show some signs of life again on the court in the past year...Too bad

 

[treufreund]

Patty is very very talented but lately when I have seen her play she does not fight or have the killer instinct. Her conflict with her parents is very painful and THAT iS TOTALLY zapping her fighting instinct and self-belief on the court. I don't feel it is fair to say she chose this path. Some things are in her control but being hurt by her parents and having pasted in the tabloids is not all her fault. It's very sad.

 

[Dokicfan17]

So what exactly happened about some cult??? witchcraft???
i heard shriver mention it



IMO, why would Patty date someone like that, i doubt she cares for her tennis if she gets in trouble and finds these wrong men, whats wrong with her?

 

[xan]

Pity about Patty. It doesn't look like she can do too well on the tennis courts with all that going on.

Could she be looking for a father figure, getting involved with these dominating older men? I can't see this working out any better than the first... Grow up Patty.

 

[Goran]

Patty was interviewed by Blick yesterday. I have printed off the interview and translated some of the interesting points.

- She said that the personal contact with them had long been broken and the correspondence she has with them is through lawyers.

- She said that she has taken her life into her own hands. That means she has taken control of her finances. I think that her father had control of this before.

- When they asked her if there was any chance of corresponding without lawyers she said that she had tried but her parents want total control over her.

- Her mother has left messages on her cellphone voicemail or she sends her postcards or letters. The content of these is not very nice.

- Once her parents were on holiday in Mexico and Patty said they have nothing better to do but write to her about how she brought her tennis defeats on herself and how they wish her no luck for her next tournament.

- Her mother has said that she had no choice but to go to the press to tell the world about Hofmann and his dealings with German Telekom because he is a criminal and she wanted the world to know it.

- Patty also said that her parents hatred for Hofmann is like that of a hatred of the Taliban.

- Her father had said that he can't understand how Patty can live with such a man and that it is wrong. She said that she can't stand to hear things like this. She said he needs to accept and respect that fact that she is now 23. A woman who can look after herself and that she knows what is good and what isn't good for her.

- Blick asked Patty if the problems with her parents had an effect on her tennis. She said that she couldn't say for sure that that is the reason for her losses but the situation does not help and she is sure that it does a little. She said the tennis world is tough and you have to give 100% all the time and she felt she hadn't been able to do that lately.

- She needs all her energy for tennis and for her real friends.

- She said she has thought long and hard about what she can do to fix all this. But she doesn't know what to do next. She says o.k that she can leave Hofmann and go back home but that would mean she would be miserable and give in and she can't do that.

- They asked Hofmann and Patty if there were wedding bells in soon and the answer was that nothing is impossible.

 

[Goran]

Wow this is fast developing into a war.

Another article said that like irma said that Patty's dad stole money from her. Between August and October 1999 her father withdrew money from her bank without Patty knowing and she doesn't know where the money is and what happened to it. On the 22 of November 2001 at about 10pm Patty's dad turned up at her apartment in Lausen and tried to get in. She said she was afraid and she wouldn't let him in. Through the intercom he said that he would finish her.

She gave examples of the kind of thing that her parents are doing to her:

After a tournament in Basel her mum spat in Hofmann's face and on Patty's birthday last year her mum left a message on her cellphone saying what a liar Hofmann is. Her mum always writes her letters of which the content is not nice.

 

[Randy H]

Thanks for the info. Goran,

I think Patty's right. The fact is she is now 23, she is not a little girl anymore and shouldn't be treated that way. I am sure deep down her family is trying to do what they feel is best for her, and maybe after what happened with Harnecker they are even more protective and concerned for her, but they can't control her from making her own choices. She is an adult, and whether they like her choices or not, it's up to her to find what is best for her. If it turns out that this man is not good for her, I think she will see it for herself and learn from the mistakes. Her family needs to be more supportive IMO, not try and push her away.

 

[Vanity]

Patty sounds like a troubled young woman. She was on her way to big things when she reached the top 10 but then she got involved with the wrong people. I am not sure if this Hoffmann guy is good for her or not but she is 23 now and is old enough to take control of her own life. She was fired up at the US Open, giving Justine Henin a close match and then she won the title at Pattaya and looked to be on her way up again... but after seeing her play Seles at the AO she looked rather distracted. She actually hit more winners than Monica but was constantly yelling at herself and her focus just didn't seem to be there.

 

[DutchieGirl]

OMG!!! I can't believe this! I feel so sorry for Patty! She is such a nice person! She doesn't deserve this no matter what anyone says! She is old enough to choose who she goes out with, and I don't think her parents should interfere, even if they don't like Hofmann, because as they should be able to see, they are just pushing Patty away, not doing anything to help the situation! If they tried to be understanding, then maybe they'd get somewhere! No wonder I haven't heard from Danny in a couple of weeks! I feel sorry for him too, because he is probably in the middle of this too (Danny's her bro for those who don't know).

 

[c2]

Goran's last post is the perfect answer to why Patty has involved herself with questionable men... Her own father, showing up unannounced and trying to get in her apt, then saying he would finish her?? If true, that is very abusive behavior, and Patty has probably been experiencing it her whole life. When someone has grown up in an abusive home, they have a hard time sorting out a good person from a bad one. (They tend to accept more bad behavior.)

Sad but true. I think Patty has a great future... but her parents certainly aren't helping..poor thing.

 

[Goran]

There was another article in the newspaper about all this drama and Patty's mum said that as far as the missing money was concerned it wasn't her father she had to look no further then Hofmann. I just can't believe that a family could be like this. It is all out war. I mean to say that you have a hatred for someone like that of the Taleban is a pretty strong thing. I just hope that the mess will get sorted cause Patty was a good player and still has the potential to be a good player.

 

[irma]

Patty said she was raised with the everything is her fault methode, that`s a mean way to raise a kid because you are going to think that everything is you fault even if you know that you are not involved in something but your feelings are full of guilt anyway. sounds weird but it`s realy the way it goes because you don`t know different.

 

[DutchieGirl]

I hope this gets sorted out soon! It's really weird to be reading this! Besides... is it right that Rainer is not an honest person? Do we know it for sure, or could it be her parents trying to make him look bad? I mean I don't know much about him, and of course we get nothing in the papers here, being so far away!