Joana Mäder (left) and Leona Kernen have formed a beach volleyball team since this season
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen say their big goal is to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen see their strengths in structured work
Image: Keystone
Leona Kernen (front) and Joana Mäder started the season with convincing performances at the Elite16 tournaments in Brazil
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen training in Bern
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (left) and Leona Kernen have formed a beach volleyball team since this season
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen say their big goal is to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen see their strengths in structured work
Image: Keystone
Leona Kernen (front) and Joana Mäder started the season with convincing performances at the Elite16 tournaments in Brazil
Image: Keystone
Joana Mäder (right) and Leona Kernen training in Bern
Image: Keystone
Baby break here, top-class sport-RS there: despite different phases in their lives, Joana Mäder and Leona Kernen, who is 14 years younger, now form a beach volleyball duo. This is how they experienced the start.
28.05.2026, 04:31
SDA
What a way to start the season. At the two Elite 16 tournaments in Brazil, Joana Mäder and Leona Kernen defied the frenetic crowd and defeated three local teams. They also won the Swiss women's duel with Anouk and Zoé Vergé-Dépré. In the capital Brasilia, the newly-formed team is in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals before Mäder and Kernen fail in a thrilling battle against last year's World Championship bronze medallists.
The six set points that went unused in the duel against Carol/Rebecca still hurt a little a week later. "It was difficult for me to block out this atmosphere and stay with myself," says Kernen after a training session in Bern. "And if you lack a bit of courage at the crucial moment, you're immediately punished - especially against the current world number 1."
However, the positives clearly outweigh the negatives: they kept up with the best teams in the world and celebrated a few nice victories. "That's good," says Mäder. "Because at the same time, we know that there is still a lot of room for improvement." For the 34-year-old, these were the first Elite 16 tournaments since August 2024.
Mäder's new dual role
A lot has happened to Joana Mäder during this time. Her partner Stefan and she became parents for the first time, and everything revolved around their little daughter Malia. The new situation, which was also a little overwhelming for both of them, initially made Mäder doubt whether she would return to the tour. The fact that the fire returned to her was also due to the fact that she regularly watched her brother Adrian Heidrich's matches on livestream.
Mäder was now faced with two questions: What is life like with top-class sport and a family? And: Who should and can she form a team with?
On the first point, Mäder says after her first few months back on tour: "It's intense, but also an exciting new experience for me." She used to subordinate everything to the sport, but now her perspective has changed somewhat. Training sessions or matches that don't go as planned are easier for Mäder to deal with because she has a completely different task waiting for her at home.
Mäder can also cope well with the fact that she now often sleeps too little. And that surprised her herself, because in the past she was usually more dissatisfied or felt her injuries more if she didn't get her eight hours. "As a mom, I've learned that I can function even with little sleep. Simply because I have to." She struggles less and simply tries to make the best of the given situation. "But of course I like to take the opportunity for a nap when it presents itself."
A duo at eye level
When it came to the question of a new partner, the answer seemed obvious: In the year with Tanja Hüberli, who is now playing with her long-time partner Nina Brunner again after her maternity break, Kernen has gained experience on the professional tour. For many, she was the obvious candidate to form the duo with Mäder. However, Muriel Bossart was another strong young player who would have been available. Mäder looked at both options.
In her conversation with Kernen, Mäder made it clear right at the start: "I'm a mom now, but I'm not your mom." The Zurich native did not want a collaboration in which she set the tone simply because she had more experience. She was looking for an exchange on an equal footing and was pleased to discover that this is definitely possible with Leona Kernen.
In some cases, the supposed roles are even reversed: it is Kernen, for example, who briefly reminds Mäder before the interview with Keystone-SDA not to forget the physio appointment in the afternoon. "I think we are very similar in character," says Kernen. "We are both very structured." And Mäder adds: "Leona has come a long way for her 20 years."
Olympic qualification begins in the fall
Kernen says that she didn't have to think long about whether she wanted to team up with Mäder. The opportunity to play alongside the 2021 Olympic bronze medal winner was one that the Bernese simply had to take. "I admire Joana. Although she has already achieved so much, she always wants more and works extremely hard every day."
After graduating from the sports high school last year, Kernen most recently completed the top-class sports school. Studying would be an option in the future. For now, however, she is in the privileged position of being able to devote herself entirely to beach volleyball. "I put a lot of pressure on myself for a long time and thought that I couldn't just focus on sport," says Kernen. After talking to those close to her, she realized: "I'm at an age where I can soak up everything in training and continue to develop. I want to take advantage of that."
The two also have a clear objective: They want to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The one-and-a-half-year qualification period for this begins in the fall of this year - so very soon.
The successful start to the season has further strengthened the duo's high ambitions. Now confirmation is needed. The Elite16 tournament in Ostrava is coming up this week.
