Two-time French Open finalist Dominic Thiem has started a new chapter in his career after appointing Thomas Muster to his team.
The world No.4 confirmed on Wednesday that the two have decided to have what he describes as a ‘working relationship.’ Under the agreement, Muster will travel with his compatriot during 20 weeks of the season. Thiem will also continue working with former Olympic champion Nicolas Massu, who has been his coach since March.
“We decided to have a working relationship.” Thiem told reporters at the ATP Cup on Wednesday.
“We started early, before this tournament, but we were still undertaking some kind of trial here, which worked out very well.’
“So we’re going to do 20 weeks this year, and I think we are both looking forward to that. Try to achieve very high goals.”
Muster, who spent six weeks as world No.1 during 1996, remains the only Austrian player to have won a grand slam title. Doing so at the 1995 French Open when he defeated Michael Chang in the final. During his professional career, he won 44 ATP titles and featured in the main draw of 39 grand slam tournaments. He played his last professional match in 2011 at the age of 44.
It is those successes and experiences of Muster which Thiem hopes will help him break new territory in 2020. Last year the 26-year-old won his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells and was one of only two men to claim five ATP trophies. The other was Novak Djokovic.
“I saw practice in the last days were working out well. I think that there are many things that I can still improve. And then of course Thomas is the best player of Austria and all time by far, is the only one who achieved the goals I’m still having.” Thiem outlined.
“I think it’s nothing better can happen to me than to have a guy from my own country to help me hopefully achieve these goals.”
Muster said he had previously turned down requests to coach players on the tour, but had a change of heart when asked by Thiem’s team. Saying both him and Massu have a ‘few screws to turn’ when it comes to developing Thiem on the tour.
“He’s one of the top players, but you can take it further.” Muster stated.
“He has the chance to win Grand Slams. We know that.He has the ability to do that, and I wouldn’t have done that for anybody else.’
“I have been asked many times to coach people on the tour, and I just deny it. I said no. But when this came up, when we started talking about this opportunity I really had to pinch myself and go, ‘Well, do I want to do this?’ I said,Yeah, I want to. I want to commit myself to this guy,and I want to make him better than I ever was.”
Thiem hasn’t made the best start to 2020 at the ATP Cup, where Austria finished at the bottom of Group E with four wins out of nine matches played. He lost in three sets to both Borna Coric and Hubert Hurkacz, but did score a win over Diego Schwartzman.
