Novak Djokovic spoke very highly of Dominic Thiem ahead of their French Open semifinal, calling him among the best of the up-and-coming players.
The world No. 1 defeated Thiem, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, on Friday to reach the final.
Thiem, who entered the tournament ranked 15th in the world, will become the youngest member of the Top 10 upon reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal.
"Dominic is one of the leaders of the new generation,” Djokovic said. “I'm sure he's very motivated to show himself and others that he deserves to be at the top and compete for [the] biggest titles.”
The 22-year-old has played 14 tournaments this season and won three titles. Djokovic pointed to his workload as indication that he’s ready for the top level.
"He's been playing a lot this year, practically every week," he said. "He's been keeping fit, as well, which is quite amazing for somebody who hasn’t had that kind of scheduling before in his career."
Djokovic has now defeated Thiem in all three of their meetings.
Thiem beat David Goffin, 4-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4, 6-1, to reach the semifinal in Paris.