The former world number three and student of Viña Marino spoke about the difficult time he was going through and his experience in Chile, where he performed for the first time in his career.
Dominic Thiem (Wiener Neustadt, Austria, September 3, 1993) had a difficult week at the Chile Open, as he was fired early in the first round against Christian Garin, in a match where he was far from tennis which l led to being world number three and winning 17 titles in his career, including the 2020 US Open.
His level today is far from that of the glorious days, and he himself recognized it after the hard defeat against Gago. “Garin played well, but I made it easy for him because I didn’t give him any difficulties and I wasn’t aggressive enough. He was seen at a high level, but if I play like that, a lot of people are going to look good playing against me. I was not a real challenge for him”, was the harsh mea culpa after the fall on the center court of San Carlos de Apoquindo.
“There are a lot of things I haven’t done well. In practice, I do a lot of things, but when I step onto the pitch I don’t know what’s going on,” he lamented. , not without concern. Things don’t work out for him and this season he barely has a victory, in the first round in Buenos Aires against the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas. In fact, the last time he had back-to-back wins was in October last year when he reached the ATP 250 semi-finals in Antwerp, and it looked like the nightmare was beginning. to end.
He arrived in Chile as the 99th in the world, as part of a tour in which he was able to shine and catapult himself as the most dangerous player on brick dust after Rafael Nadal, reaching two consecutive Roland Garros finals ( 2018 and 2019), the last of them at the hands of Nicolás Massú, his coach four years ago, with whom he also reached the final of the Australian Open 2020 and reached the vice-championship of the ATP Finals 2019 and 2020.
Without going any further, these first two years with the Viñamarino were dreamlike after winning the 1000 Indian Wells Masters against Roger Federer, and celebrating crowns in Barcelona, Kitzbühel, Beijing and Vienna in 2019, in addition to the The aforementioned United States Open. United the following year, having beaten Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a thrilling final.
problems appear
Justamente, después de ganar el título en Flushing Meadows, vino un period muy difícil para él en todo sentido, donde también experienced physical problems that lo hicieron caer fuera del top 300. to the right. I did, under weird circumstances (due to lack of audience and restrictions put in place by the pandemic), but it’s not that important to me. Somehow some things fell through: privacy, taking care of other things, expanding your horizons. You have to do something for your head, for your brain. There was only tennis. I want to change that a bit,” he confessed to Der Standard newspaper some time ago.
On this occasion, he also confessed how hard the pandemic period had been for the return of tennis, where the bubbles were very strict at the beginning. “If I suffer from the quarantine bubble and rules? Yes of course. It was extreme at (the ATP in) Dubai, we were locked up, but outside of that there was normal life (…). I’ve had a completely planned life for as long as I can remember. Every day, every week, every month. I feel better knowing what will happen the next day. It’s gone now,” he recalls on this occasion.
Perhaps for this very reason, the tennis player was very open to participating in the various activities offered by the organization of the Chile Open, such as playing a small exhibition with the Italian Fabio Fognini at the Sky Costanera, 300 meters away altitude. And, in a way, he was very grateful for everything he had been through. “It’s a great tournament. I had a good time and it was an incredible atmosphere, it’s great to play like that. Unfortunately my level was not good enough. I have to continue and stay focused for the future,” he said on this occasion.
He also carried out various activities with his sponsors. One of them is Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink company that has expanded globally and with which Domi has long been associated. Between this busy schedule, he took the time to chat with The third .
What was your impression of playing for the first time in Chile?
Alright. I am grateful to have the opportunity to play here. I already wanted to play this tournament last year, but the wrist kept giving me problems and now I’ve been perfectly fine for some time. I arrived on Wednesday (February 22) so it was a good time to prepare. Last year I also came here to train with Nico in February, so I love the city, I love the countryside and it’s a good time here.
Why did you choose to play in South America and not in Europe or the Middle East?
I have already tried everything in my career. I have played here several times. I also played in Europe, in Rotterdam, in Doha, in Dubai… And all these places are nice. I like to play everywhere, but this year I thought the best decision was to come to South America. I like the tournaments here. In the past I have also had great success and here in Chile it is the first time for me. I always like to explore new places, play new tournaments. So it was easy to make the decision.
Why was it so complicated to find his best level after the injury suffered?
Hmm. You know, I set the bar very, very high…I was playing very well. I had incredible results. I was going to tournaments…almost every tournament as a favorite and setting the bar incredibly high for me, and now it’s not like that anymore. I guess that’s normal.
It’s part of the process…
Now it’s part of the process, 100%, and I’m in the situation I’m in and I don’t want to look back. There is no or no sense. I am currently in the present moment. It’s like that and I want to make the most of it.
Speaking of Nicolás Massú. What did you learn from him as a coach during that time you were on tour together?
We have been together for four very successful years; four very interesting years, four years also of a beautiful relationship. Obviously we’ve had incredible success and now we’re going through a bit more difficult times because my results aren’t what they used to be. I don’t play like I used to, but we both do our best to improve every day and get better results again.
What surprised you most about Nicolás Massú?
Now, I’ve known him for four years, so it doesn’t surprise me anymore, but, at the beginning, his passion, his energy… What was positive about him… Yet, yes, he is passionate about making me s improve every day and do a good workout. This surprises me. And, of course, the first time I came to Chile with him… What a hero he is here! Everyone knows him. I didn’t know what to expect but it was nice and also surprising.
Three years ago, the debate was about the possibility of becoming world number one after winning the US Open. Do you keep this objective?
It’s really the same answer as before. In fact, I don’t think about the past anymore. Yes, now I live in the moment. Currently, my ranking is what, 95 or something like that? So that’s what it is for now. And I have to make the most of this situation right now that I’m living in, and that’s all I can think about.
The future
Although the Austrian tennis player faces a present complex, it has not been an obstacle to have options to continue playing tournaments at the highest level, despite the fact that his current ranking is not sufficient to reach main tables. Indeed, after this complicated tour on South American clay, the next step will be the Indian Wells Masters 1000, which he will be able to play thanks to an invitation. And then he will be in Miami, which he also accessed through a wild card.
In the hot American cement, the star will seek to rediscover those old sensations that led him to fame not so long ago. Living here and now, and without looking back, he dreams of returning to the select group where he shone for many seasons. “The road takes time, but I don’t stress, I try to do my best on the track, to live in the present moment, without thinking about what’s next”, he often expresses when asked. question this reality. Here is the new Dominic Thiem.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
