18-year-old Max Schönhaus ends his junior season as world champion and second in the world rankings. He looks back on his junior days.
Ense – For twelve years, tennis was more than a sport for Max Schönhaus – it was his life. Now, at the age of 18, his junior years ended. And how! Victory at the ITF Junior Finals in China and second place in the junior world rankings are the culmination of a career that has led from the district to the junior world championships. What was the best? “In tennis this year – that was my best year, I had the greatest success,” says Schönhaus.
These successes include the French Open final, the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the victory in China. He had already won Wimbledon in doubles last year. “I made a very, very good connection to men’s tennis and scored points on the men’s tour for the first time,” he says. He has already taken his first steps into the professional business: “Won my first tournaments.” And it wasn’t just a special year in terms of sport: “I also really got around the world, saw different countries – that was very, very, very great from a personal perspective.”
Getting there was no coincidence. “It didn’t come as a surprise. When you play at this level and you want to get there, you have to believe in yourself. You have to tell yourself: If you work hard and do the right things, it’s only a matter of time.” Pressure? He took this consciously: “This approach takes the pressure off you. You don’t have the pressure to perform, you don’t have this time pressure. Of course you have expectations and sponsors. My team helped me a lot so that we focus on development and not on the results.”
The family played an important role: “A very, very, very important one. My family had nothing to do with tennis before I started. That helps me when I come home. That I can enjoy the time at home and just be human.”
Most emotional moment so far? Definitely Wimbledon. “The 6:7, 6:7 in the semifinals against Ivanov. Afterwards I was actually very, very calm and stunned. That definitely took a little longer to swallow like other matches. Because it was also Wimbledon, my absolute favorite tournament, my last time Wimbledon as a junior. You play against the number one in the world, have set points – and then lose 6:7 and 6:7. That was a very bitter moment, the toughest thing I’ve ever experienced in terms of tennis.”
Now the big stage awaits. “It’s a much more physical game. It’s really tough on your bones and endurance. The men’s game is clearer, they do less nonsense.” Preparation is underway: “We do a lot of athleticism. The body is constantly under stress, I have a lot of sore muscles. It’s normal in the preseason.” Australia is not an issue yet: “I’m currently listed at 600 in the world rankings, the cut is always 220 or 230 for the qualifying rounds. I still have to hit a few balls and score.”
His advice to the next generation? “The fun. I tackled a lot of matches and there were phases where I didn’t have fun. It took a toll on my mental health. And yes, winning is no longer fun when you go on the court because you don’t want to lose. That’s why for me, if I were to give myself another tip at the beginning of my career: do what you enjoy.”
The junior season is over, the memories remain: the grand finals, the bitter defeats, the trips around the world. In front of Max Schönhaus there is a path that is even steeper and more demanding. But he has shown that he is ready. The boy from Niederense, who won his first district championship title as a six-year-old, is starting a new chapter. If Schönhaus has his way, the story is far from over.
