Current world number three Dominic Thiem is set to return to the field with the US Open later this month. Like many other tennis players, this is the first time Dominic has been forced to leave a tournament, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic raging around the world. However, his coach and former world number nine Nicolas Massu is confident of Thiem’s performance.
Dominic Thiem “looks strong” before the US Open
In a recent interview with the ATP, Massu revealed that during the lockdown, Dominic stayed with his father Wolfgang and practiced. Thiem and Massu communicated regularly. The couple participated in some exhibition matches together in June before taking a break. However, the two resumed working together this week.
When asked about the sudden five-month break from tennis, Massu said Thiem was doing well in terms of play, thanks to exhibition matches. He said: “Dominic played 28 games in 45 days. I know they are just performances, but they were serious games and the level of the players was very high. Obviously, that’s not the same as ATP Tour tournaments. The reason it’s a Grand Slam or an ATP Masters 1000 is because all the best players will be there. But we tried to get him to play a lot of games over this period so he wouldn’t feel the impact.“
He further insisted that the Austrian is hungrier than ever, claiming, “He is playing well, looks strong and is very focused. He’s even more motivated now because he’s used to a busy schedule of tournaments with many tournaments in a normal season. “
When asked what has improved in Thiem’s game, Massu said he believes in growth every day. Thiem is a good listener and equally hardworking. As a coach, Massu seems to be very impressed with him.
Last year, Nicolas helped Thiem in his quest to conquer the hard ground. Within a month of working together, Thiem had won his first ATP Masters 1000 title. He defeated Federer and reached the final in the Australian Open.
Dominic Thiem has yet to win his first Grand Slam. Massu looks confident Thiem could do it at the next US Open.
