Austria’s tennis star Dominic Thiem appeared visibly drawn in the jam-packed Press Room 2 under the Philippe Chatrier Court. After the clear three-set defeat against Hugo Dellien in the first round of the French Open, his gaze went blank. The 28-year-old knows that there is still an incredible amount of work ahead of him. He is now taking a step back and will play two Challenger tournaments in Italy. First in Perugia at the beginning of June and then in Parma. From June 27th, the next Grand Slam tournament, the grass classic in Wimbledon, is on the agenda.
“It wasn’t enough, I have to accept that. It’s a very painful defeat, but nothing unexpected happened. The match wasn’t good, not good at all,” explained the 2020 US Open champion. “There are zero physical and no mental problems as far as fear is concerned. In training, the forehand is mandatory, but in a match it’s different. The tension is greater there, the nervousness, that’s poison for my forehand. i miss the feeling A lot of mistakes happen.
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“It will take a few months”
“A lot of things don’t add up. My shots aren’t powerful enough, not just the forehand. The first service doesn’t hurt the opponent, the backhand isn’t long enough, not fast enough. Sometimes I make stupid decisions – especially in key situations. It is what it is. It will take time to get better.”
How should the step back to the top succeed? “I only started consistent, intense training six or seven weeks ago. This is too little. I have to be patient,” said Thiem. “I don’t do anything differently in training than I did three years ago, because that’s what made me very successful. This is the way back on track. It will be a few more months before I can beat the top players again.”
The 28-year-old from Lichtenwörther hasn’t won a match since mid-May 2021, which gnaws at his psyche. “A win would help a lot. But to be honest, I’ve been pretty far from success in every match I’ve played since the comeback.”
Could a mental coach help? “I did not think of that. I never had one. But I’ve never been in a situation like I’m in now. I have to work 100 percent. Of course it was easier when I won a lot. This is not a question. Basically, I’m open to everything that gets me ahead,” said Thiem.
“Everyone is hungry and eager to win”
The special aura of Roland Garros did not give Thiem wings. “The mood on the court was good, but that won’t help me play better. I would have hoped it would be faster. But it would have been unrealistic to expect that. It’s bitter to be sitting here again after a defeat and repeating the same sentences.”
Thiem was out of action for ten months with a wrist injury sustained on June 22nd. “It also took me longer and longer to come back during other breaks. It’s been like this since I was young. It may be that other players find it easier.”
Dellien’s hymns of praise (“He’ll make it again for sure”) bounce off Thiem. “Everyone is really hungry and eager to win. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side. The level and the density are very, very high. If I’m not up to par, it will be difficult against each individual. It is clear that I was number three in the world. It doesn’t help me when someone else has a big name on their hit list.” Dellien had spoken of the greatest success of his career.
Thiem knows the forehand isn’t working the way it’s supposed to. “She looks a little different. That’s not on purpose. It ultimately depends on what comes out. If I compare my forehand from seven or eight years ago with that from three years ago, it has also changed. And it worked.”
Could there be changes in “Team Thiem”? “Certainly not, I’m very satisfied. That would be extremely unfair to those around me and to me if I were concerned. The time was simply far too short for that.” Currently, consistent, hard work should bring him back to the top. “If I’m still without a win at the end of the year, I have to think about something in my game.”
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Source: Nachrichten
