Ranked 114th in the world, on March 3rd Thiago Seyboth Wild celebrated his 20th birthday, and yet he had already won his first ATP tournament, in Santiago, Chile, right before the tennis action was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Becoming the youngest Brazilian to ever win a tournament, and also the first teenager to win a title after Alex De Minaur’s exploits in Sydney last year. He is coached by Joao Zvetsch and by his father Claudio Ricardo Wild, who manages a tennis academy. His mother, Gisela Christine Seyboth, is a doctor, and he also has a sister named Luana.

Thiago is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. He was born in Marechal Candido Rondon (in the state of Paranà, in the micro-region of Toledo), and moved to Rio at the age of 15. His favourite surface is clay. He’s an avid football fan, supporting Gremio FC and club captain Pedro Geromel. He aspires to play at the same level of intensity shown by his idol Rafa Nadal and defines himself as a brave player when it comes to the key points of the match, even though sometimes he feels he’s too lazy.

VIDEO SCHEDULE

Minute 00:00: His last name “Wild” is not to be read as the identical English word. The letter “W”, in fact, is to be pronounced with a German accent, a clear homage to his roots.
01:30: A recap of his win in Santiago, after he unexpectedly received a wild card to compete in the tournament. Special mention for the match against Garin…
04:50: The win over Ruud. Thiago was down 3-1 15-40 in the final set…
06:00: His coach has some Italian heritage; as a matter of fact, his complete family name is Pinnuzzi Zvetsch.
07:00: Thiago discusses getting infected by the Coronavirus…
08:40: The Covid-19 situation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
10:00: “I’m not shocked, just very sad. Two friends of mine got Covid-19, but thankfully they’re fine now”.
11.45: His plans for the US Open: would he go or not?
12:00: “I don’t have to many ATP points to defend…”
13:00: He talks about the good bond with fellow brazilians Guga Kuerten, Melo, Bellucci. Where do they usually train?
14:00: Guga Kuerten’s influence. “He’s so popular even outside the tennis world…” Does he know much about Maria Esther Bueno, the greatest Brazilian female player of all time, inducted in the hall of fame in 1987?
16:30: “When I was 12 I went to San Paolo to watch the Brazilian championships and while I was watching Bellucci playing I thought…” Is he already well-known in his home country?
18:00: The biggest difference between Challenger and ATP events.
18:50: His Junior Slam final against an Italian, Lorenzo Musetti.
20:00: “I love Nadal, I started watching and playing tennis when he was already the man.”
21:00: “If I could have dinner with three different players, I’d pick…”
21:46: US Open or Roland Garros?
22:00: His playing style: “I like to hit flat, I don’t like players that spin too much the ball 10 feet behind the baseline….”
24:00: “You need to be professional and mature in this circus. I always had tennis as my first priority. I never took a day off in training, even early in the morning, just to go to some party.”
25:00: His thoughts on another Italian, the NextGen champion Jannik Sinner.
27:00: His main goal is easy to understand, just go to 27-minute mark…
28:00: What’s his dream victory? Same as before, watch the video and just know that he has some lofty objectives…
29:00: His favourite shots.
30:00: Aspects of his game that he’s working on. Tennis and chess?
32:00: Watching YouTube videos to scout his opponents.
32:45: His thoughts on the new Davis Cup.
34:00: “My dad played tennis too, I don’t know about his ranking though. He played in Nice, Lille… my parents didn’t really want me to become a professional tennis player, they would rather me to choose a normal life, but it wasn’t my intention.”
35:00: “My parents never forced me to choose any path. I think they’d come to New York if I manage to get to play there.”
36:00: Would he change any rules?
37:00: He finishes the interview in style…

Translated by Antonio Flagiello; edited by Tommaso Villa