In a recent Ö3 interview in the Spanish capital, the Lower Austrian spoke about his status quo and, in addition to the focus on the ongoing improvements, also about his level of frustration. “Of course it’s difficult, because with every shot that fails, it immediately comes to my mind how I would have played the shot before the injury or when I was at my best. There’s still such a big difference that it’s extremely difficult to accept,” admitted the Lichtenwörther.
Thiem, who was recently in the stadium for the Champions League semi-final between Real and Manchester City in Madrid, is nevertheless confident about the upcoming Masters tournament in Rome. The 2020 US Open winner also recently completed his training sessions in the Italian capital. Opponent in the first round is local hero Fabio Fognini.
The most important thing for Thiem are the daily improvements. He no longer feels a “mental barrier because of his wrist injury” last June. “The head thing is actually over now, and the fear that something could be in the wrist is completely gone. But sometimes I play good points and the last shot starves in the net or is three meters out, it’s definitely extremely frustrating.”
Case out of Top 100 “completely clear”
On the other hand, Thiem is not at all shocked by the fact that on Monday he flies out of the top 100 for the first time since March 2014. “It was absolutely clear that this would happen at some point. It is the logical consequence of how the ranking works.” He does not know how long he was number one in Austria. “But it’s good that it’s going to be someone else,” joked Thiem, who as 162nd has only been the third best Austrian behind Jurij Rodionov (130th) and Dennis Novak (140th) since Monday.
If you say that you have to learn the “ABC” again after such long injuries, then the 17-time ATP tournament winner doesn’t see himself very far. “I’m with D like Dominic I would say. It’s not just the forehand, it’s also about how I make the points, how I move, how I anticipate, how I assess tight situations. But that’s clear anyway.”
It will certainly not be easy against local hero Fognini in Rome, even if Thiem is 3-1 ahead in head-to-head. The 34-year-old Italian is 56th in the world rankings and thus far ahead of his opponent. Thiem won the last duel in the Madrid round of 16 in 2019, i.e. on sand. Fognini’s greatest success this year was reaching the semifinals in February in Rio de Janeiro. If Thiem wins, another active player from the host country could be waiting in number ten seeded Jannik Sinner from South Tyrol.
Thiem receives encouragement from Nadal
Thiem also received encouragement indirectly from superstar Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard, who made a fairytale comeback with the title at the Australian Open after a long injury break, does not even allow a comparison with Thiem. “It’s not the moment to put pressure on Dominic and it’s not fair to compare him to me either,” said the 21-time Major winner recently in Madrid.
It is true that it was something special in his career that he was able to come back many times. “But it’s not something normal when you come back from a long time without matches. It’s normal that it’s a process, and Dominic is going through it now.”
However, the Spaniard is counting on Thiem again in the future: “I have no doubt that if he is healthy, he will come back next week at Roland Garros and if not at Wimbledon or afterwards. It’s about time,” said Nadal. If Thiem really has the determination and passion to continue, then he has no doubt that Thiem will return to his former level.
