Very different species of tennis cracks are playing on the red carpet in Ismaning this week: talented young players, but also established professionals who want to make it into the top 100 of the women’s world rankings or are fighting their way back after an injury. The ITF World Tour tournaments are entry-level tournaments that are an important opportunity, especially for up-and-coming players, to collect points for the world rankings. Ismaning, where a women’s tournament is taking place for the first time since 2013, has also attracted many German players who were able to secure a place in the main round of the $60,000 Therme Erding Open through wildcards and qualification. One in particular stands out.
At 15 years old and ranked 1001 in the WTA world rankings, Mariella Thamm is the youngest and worst-placed player to make it to the quarterfinals northeast of Munich – and that from qualifying. In Ismaning she follows the motto: “Don’t have any pressure, play it relaxed and see how it turns out.” And that seems to work.
“She is very carefree, and that is also her strength,” says Barbara Rittner, who was the women’s head national coach in the German Tennis Federation (DTB) until last February. She has been the sports director at the start-up “Acein Performance” since August. After several decades at the DTB, Rittner is committed to the individual support of young players, also from a financial perspective: “Because they usually need money for their home trainers and also have travel expenses. Tennis is an expensive sport.” Her focus is also on sports advice and the health of the players. This funding is intended to make it easier for young talents to become professionals. Because many, like Thamm, “at some point of course want to play all four Grand Slams and then try to get into the top 10 in the world.”
The company would like to select four to six players by spring 2025 who will receive individual support there. “I can’t reveal who will be there because we’re still screening,” says Rittner. But it’s no secret that they would also like to have Mariella Thamm under contract.
Rittner is in close contact with other players who also played in Ismaning. For example with world ranking 305. Nastasja Schunk, who received one of four wildcards for the main round from the organizers. The 21-year-old has been working on her comeback since suffering a shoulder injury. On Thursday evening she had to admit defeat to Thamm 4:6 and 3:6 in the second round. In contrast to Thamm, Schunk in Ismaning was about more than just getting a taste of the women’s tour. Because there is pressure on her and her generation.
“It’s a difficult phase right now, that’s no secret,” says Rittner
In any case, Rittner, who helped build the so-called “Golden Generation” around Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, Sabine Lisicki and Julia Görges, sees a need to catch up among young German women: “It’s a difficult phase right now, that’s no secret. Now Angie Kerber has also quit, so the generation behind her has to close the gap.” The young players in their early and mid-20s, on whom hopes currently rest, are almost all placed outside the top 100. In the next few years, the talented people will have to work hard to move forward, says Rittner: “I always say, they are so close and sometimes so far away.”
On the one hand, young people should take their time and not be so strict with themselves, but on the other hand, they should feel the pressure of the public at the same time. “Tennis Germany is a country so spoiled for success, of course you always want the next stars here.” The next ones were actually the generation around Anna-Lena Friedsam, which almost completely fell away due to injuries and other reasons. The pressure of their generation has now shifted to the younger Nastasja Schunk, Ella Seidel, Eva Lys and Noma Noha Akugue.
Friedsam, now 30 years old, seems to be able to live quite well with it, at least in Ismaning. On Friday afternoon she moved into the semi-finals with a two-set win against Barbora Palicova. There she meets the Ukrainian Daria Snigur, who also defeated the talented but this time too nervous Mariella Thamm in two sets. The 15-year-old can still leave Ismaning with a grin: next week she will be among the best 1,000 players in the world again.
