Das ist eine der wichtigsten Perioden, die es im Tennis überhaupt gibt. Dabei kann ich ihn gut unterstützen, weil ich genau das Gleiche erlebt habe.
The Burgenländer most recently reached the semi-finals at the Junior US Open. After the European Championships, the 18-year-old will play one more junior tournament, then the transition to adult tennis will be the priority.
Thiem knows: "This is one of the most important periods in tennis. I can support him well in this because I experienced exactly the same thing."
Their junior careers have followed similar paths, Thiem notes. Behrmann is currently ranked third in the junior world rankings. The new ranking will be released on Monday, where the two-meter giant is likely to appear even in second place.
Thiem emphasizes: "That is sensational."
"Still far from a complete player"
The development of the now two-time European champion makes Thiem positive.
However, he also notes: "Although he will be world number 2 next week, he still has a lot of potential. He is far from being a complete player."
Especially in terms of footwork and serve, which will be an "extremely important" factor due to his height, Thiem still sees a lot of room for improvement. "He serves well, but the serve needs to become faster and more accurate," he says.
Thiem states that the ÖTV junior is characterized by his "powerful groundstrokes." It's a good sign when you already have a good level at 18, "but at the same time, it's evident what needs to be improved. That makes me and the academy confident."
The most difficult phase is yet to come
Soon, with the transition to professional tennis, a decisive phase in his career will begin for the Burgenländer.
Thiem can tell from his own experience where the biggest hurdles lie: "That's certainly one's own expectations. Joel (Schwärzler, ed. note) was number 1 in juniors, Thilo is now number 2."
Many players would believe that it would continue in this vein. "But men's tennis is a different ball game. The players are physically in top shape. You first have to get used to the physicality," says the Lower Austrian.
The fact that you play tournaments week after week that don't have the prestige of a Grand Slam also needs to be accepted. Thiem explains: "The best juniors play the Grand Slams, where you have a really cool life. And then you go back into the depths of professional tennis."
To work your way up from there towards the world elite, a certain resilience is needed. "You have to stick with it for a long time. If you have the basic level, you will play your way through. But it takes a lot to grit your teeth."
Schwärzler as an example of patience
This can currently be observed well with Joel Schwärzler.
Das ist für sein Alter immer noch ein Top-Ranking. Ich bin in seinem Alter auch ungefähr dort gestanden. Er ist immer noch absolut im Soll.
The 20-year-old from Vorarlberg left junior tennis behind as the best player in the world in 2024 and celebrated his first Challenger tournament victory in Skopje in his first year in the senior circuit.
However, his ascent did not continue at such a rapid pace thereafter. Instead, the ÖTV talent had to endure several setbacks, especially in 2025. This year, however, Schwärzler has already claimed two Challenger titles.
Thiem takes pressure off Schwärzler
He has not yet achieved the big breakthrough; he is currently ranked 183rd in the ATP world rankings. Thiem reassures: "That is still a top ranking for his age. I was roughly at the same position at his age. He is still absolutely on track."
Thiem believes it is "very important" to explain to young players that difficult phases are "completely normal" and that, with few exceptions, it cannot continuously go steeply uphill.
Sometimes it is also helpful not to look at the results, but at the player's development. The 33-year-old says: "If you do that, you will navigate through the phase and eventually be rewarded."
The heavy legacy
For the left-hander, it is compounded by the fact that comparisons with Thiem were drawn early on. In many places, there was great hope that Schwärzler would immediately close the gap that arose after Thiem's retirement, and that he would take on the heavy legacy.
"If you always hear that, it's certainly not easy," Thiem emphasizes, "but you have to focus on your own development and not compare yourself to other players of the same age at all."
Das Wichtigste ist, einfach auf sich selbst zu schauen, auf sich selbst zu konzentrieren und diese Vergleiche so gut wie möglich auszublenden.
Even in his time, there were peers who were already playing on the ATP Tour at 16 or 17. "And I was still somewhere in the junior rankings and perhaps had two ATP points," says Thiem.
He reiterates clearly: "The most important thing is simply to focus on yourself, concentrate on yourself, and block out these comparisons as much as possible."
No ÖTV player in Top 100 no big surprise
The fact that currently no male ÖTV player is ranked in the top 100 of the ATP world rankings doesn't particularly surprise him. "The players who were part of the Davis Cup have been where they are now for several years."
Thiem elaborates: "I hope that Lukas Neumayer can reach the Top 100; that would be sensational for him. He has an absolutely outstanding training attitude, which will eventually pay off."
Jurij Rodionov, on the other hand, was already world number 87. "It would be great if he could make it back there again," says Thiem.
"For Austria's size, we are in a positive position"
In general, he sees domestic tennis on a good path.
"For Austria's size, we are in a very positive position," Thiem says. The fact that Austria has qualified for the Final 8 in the Davis Cup for the second consecutive year is a "top performance."
Participation in the final tournament in Bologna is a great success for the entire sport of tennis. "That really boosts the coverage. Many people who don't usually follow tennis closely become interested in it specifically during the Final 8 week," Thiem believes.
Tagger outshines all other women
Currently, however, Austria's female tennis players are outperforming their male counterparts.
Thiem is pleased: "The women are top. At the French Open, we had four women in the main draw, which hasn't been the case for ages."
Young star Lilli Tagger, in particular, is attracting a lot of attention. "She outshines everyone and will be very far up the rankings very soon," Thiem is convinced.
At 18, she is still far from her peak, says the former tennis ace, stating: "She will bring a lot of joy to Austrian tennis in the coming years."
