Schoenhaus becomes first German boy since 2013 to make Wimbledon semis
Germany’s Max Schoenhaus has reached back-to-back Junior Grand Slam semi-finals after defeating Benjamin Willwerth of the United States to surge into the last four at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon.
The 17-year-old lost out to Niels McDonald in an all-German boys’ singles final at Roland Garros but is now one match-win away from another shot at Junior Grand Slam glory following a 7-6(2) 6-3 triumph.
Schoenhaus, who also defeated Willwerth in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, will now face Bulgaria’s Ivan Ivanov for a place in the final, while the possibility remains for an all-Bulgarian final. Alexander Vasilev faces qualifier Ronit Karki of the United States in the other semi.
For now, however, Schoenhaus can revel in becoming the first German boy for more than a decade – since Maximilian Marterer in 2013 – to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon. Incidentally, no German boy has ever won a singles title here at SW19.
“It was always a goal to do well here,” Schoenhaus, who won the boys' doubles here last year alongside Alexander Razeghi of the United States, told itftennis.com.
“It is a prestige tournament, so it was always a dream to play here. It is an achievement to reach the semi-finals, but I hope to go to the final. It will give my best tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens.
“I read the statistic about me being the first German boy to reach the semis since 2013 on Instagram after my match and it feels special. I know the guy who did it and it is an honour to do the same here and do it for Germany.
“Going deep at Roland Garros has really helped me when it comes to big matches. I believe I am really good in close matches and close moments. I took a lot of confidence and it is always good to know you can go far in big tournaments.
“I hope to go even further here and get the title.”
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Before Marterer, the previous German boy to reach a semi-final at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon was Philipp Petzschner in 2001. Petzschner is the German’s Tennis Federation’s national coach for under-18 boys and part of Schoenhaus’s coaching set-up here alongside Bjorn Simon.
Petzschner proceeded to reach a career-high singles ranking of No. 35 in world, while he also claimed two Grand Slam doubles titles alongside Jurgen Melzer, one of which came at Wimbledon. Not a bad person for Schoenhaus to have in his corner.
“I am very pleased with his performance, particularly after the final at Roland Garros,” Petzschner told itftennis.com.
“To come back on a different surface and make the semis again is a huge achievement and I hope now he can male the next two steps and take the crown home with him.
“I lost in the semis here in 2001, so my memories of my semi-final are not that great. I hope Max gets further but I still have my name on the wall, and it is always a great feeling coming back here and I just wish the best for him. Hopefully he can get the title.
“I always tell him that if there is anything he needs, I am there. I can tell him in certain moments, ‘this is what I felt and what some of the best players in the world told me’. I think for him it is a little easier knowing that I have been through this situation.
“It was the same with Niels at Roland Garros. I was a little add on and I think the coaching structure with have at the federation is really working.”
That would certainly appear to be the case.
A full list of results from the 2025 Junior Championships can be accessed here