Reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem says he is finding it tough playing on the Tour during the COVID-19 pandemic and has hinted that his approach to the game could change in the future.
The world No.4 hasn’t played since the Dubai Tennis Championships last month where he lost his opening match to South Africa’s Lloyd Harris. The Austrian then opted to have a break from the Tour. He has pulled out of this week’s Belgrade Open due to pain in his knee but is targeting a return at the Madrid Open.
2021 has been a bit of a roller-coaster for Thiem who has won five out of nine matches played so far. Although he has only won back-to-back matches in one tournament. Besides the added expectation of being one of the sports top players, Thiem has to contend with the ongoing pandemic and various regulations which are in place. Including tournament bubbles, playing being closed doors and regular testing for the virus.
“Huge parts are lost. Corona has taken beautiful things, starting with traveling and moving freely. The bad things stay,” Thiem told Der Standard.
“It’s difficult to play through week after week in these circumstances. There are guys who can take it, for whom life in the bubble is probably an advantage, for example (Dan) Evans or (Alexander) Bublik. They have problems focusing on sport in normal times. It’s great for them, they concentrate exclusively on tennis, there is nothing else.’
“It was extreme in Dubai, we were locked up, but outside of it there was normal life. You were let out of the hotel at 9 p.m. and allowed to enter an empty stadium. That’s not so great.”
These usual times on the Tour has taken its toll on players mentally with Thiem admitting that he has been one of those affected. It is not the first time the 27-year-old has spoken out about bubble life and the drawbacks of not playing in front of fans.
Another issue is the unpredictability of the pandemic which threatened to disrupt the calendar at any point. The most recent victim is the French Open who has decided to postpone the start of their event by seven days. A move that has shortened the grass-court swing this season.
“I’ve had a completely planned life for as long as I can remember,” said Thiem. “Every day, every week, every month is divided. I feel better knowing what will happen the next day. That’s gone right now.”
‘Like a nuclear accident’
During the Australian Open, Thiem admits that he struggled to deal with a sudden change in circumstances. Midway through the tournament, Melbourne went into lockdown and subsequently fans were not allowed to attend the facility.
“I’m playing one of the most memorable matches in my life against local hero Kyrgios, I’m getting 2-0 down. The atmosphere in Melbourne was amazing, even though people didn’t stand by me. And suddenly there was a lockdown. I came into the locker room late at night, sweaty, and the facility was evacuated in the meantime – like a nuclear accident,” he recounts.
“The day after next against Dimitrov there was extreme midday heat in the loneliness. I didn’t make it pushing that through and dealing with the situation.”
Thiem also makes reference to football as being another sport heavily impacted by the virus. Saying he hasn’t watched the Champions League recently due to a lack of atmosphere and brands it as a ‘tragedy.’ Thiem is a Chelsea fan and has visited Sanford Bridge multiple times.
Of course, there is light at the end of the tunnel thanks to a rapid development of vaccines and better scientific understanding of how COVID-19 works. Like his peers, Thiem is eager to go back to a degree of normality but admits that his approach to the sport may be different.
“I chased the big goal (of winning a Grand Slam) for 15 years without looking left or right. I achieved it – under weird circumstances, but that’s not that important to me,” he stated.
“In a way, some things fell by the wayside – private life, dealing with other things and broadening your horizons. You have to do something for your head, for your brain. There was only tennis. I want to change that a bit.“
Thiem has won 17 ATP titles so far in his career and has earned more than $28.5 million in his career.
