“He’s playing well but he’s not winning.” That’s what ex-trainer Günter Bresnik says about Dominic Thiem. Thiem’s ex-physio worked for Bresnik at Wimbledon.
“The forehand is there, the fighting spirit is really good. I recognized myself again on the pitch. I’m still there.” Dominic Thiem was positive after the narrow opening defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon. The day after, the ex-number 3 in the world had a cold and canceled sick for the Challenger next week in Salzburg.
“He plays well, but he doesn’t win,” says Thiem’s ex-coach Günter Bresnik, who did not travel to the classic lawn. “I have three trainers there and here in Austria, a lot to do. One daughter had a high school diploma, the other had a graduation. Dad has different priorities there.” In terms of sport, Bresnik didn’t miss much. His protégés Julia Grabher, Dennis Novak and Alexander Shevchenko failed in round one.
Salzburg cancellation – Thiem sick after Wimbledon thriller
When Thiem hit an important forehand against Tsitsipas in the match tie-break, his ex-physiotherapist Alexander Stober took care of a Bresnik protégé in Wimbledon. Stober was part of that small successful team in 2020 when Thiem became the Grand Slam winner at the US Open. After Thiem’s wrist injury, there were discrepancies in the therapy, and after six successful years, the paths parted ugly.
Stober was annoyed that Thiem did not personally inform him of the separation. He missed the loyalty he had put into the project every second. The ex-supervisor of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras or Angie Kerber took a break. He then mentored ex-US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Stober is now back working in the Bresnik team. The native German already helped Austria’s number 1 Julia Grabher at the French Open. At Wimbledon he looked after Alexander Shevchenko, who came to Südstadt with his mother as a young boy when Thiem was still practicing there with Ernests Gulbis under the wing of Bresnik. Now Shevchenko is 22 years old, like Thiem in the top 100 and hopes for the next career step with Stober’s hands.
Thiem after Wimbledon: “Shows that I’m still here”
“I don’t want people like that around my athletes”
“Stober is not a voodoo magician, he is the best physio in the tennis world,” says Bresnik to “Today”. “After five sets you go to him as a player, with his experience and technical skills he prepares you for the next day in two or three hours.”
For Bresnik, the coach is “the unsympathetic who buys”. A physio is the important antithesis. “Understanding. A good soul who is there and still gives a massage at night.”
“There are some good physios. But most of them are not willing to invest so much for the athlete. They do four therapies at home for 80 euros each, earn 2000 euros a week and sit with their girlfriends at the wine tavern in the evening. Such But I don’t want people around my athletes. I prefer Stober.”
The break with the Thiem family was “done” for Stober. “There are things he doesn’t understand,” says Bresnik. “It’s no longer an issue for us.”
Ex-coach to Thiem: “Stop self-deception”
“I was wrong with Dominic”
Bresnik had predicted Thiem’s quick return to the top 30 at the French Open in Paris. “I was wrong there,” he says. “His way back now takes two years, which surprises me. I think he’s impatient himself. I stick to it: I don’t think there are 20 players who are better than him.”
However, falling out of the top 10 would have caused collateral damage. “He was in the top 10 for five years. When you’re out, you play against top players early on, you never get into the flow yourself, and you can’t choose the tournaments anymore.”
Patterns about Thiem: “Catastrophic decisions”
“Dominic would never prepare worse because of a woman”
For Bresnik, tennis is the freest market economy at the top of the world. One is coming, one is gone. “Players are famous and happy because they reached a major final. But Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have won 65 Grand Slam titles together. They took all the titles away from the rest of the world for 16 years. More than that, they have everyone deprived others of the opportunity to gain experience. That should be considered. And not the discussions in forums about women players. That is terrible. Before the first round of Wimbledon, there is talk about the influence of women on Tsitsipas and Thiem. Dominic would because of never better prepare a woman for a game of tennis.”
Thiem’s form curve pointed up at Wimbledon. But he couldn’t untie the mental knot in his head. He lost twelve of 15 tie-breaks this year, in the decisive set he has not won a single one, he lost four.
Djokovic won exactly 65.5 percent of the tiebreaks played in his career. The best tennis players are the ones with the greatest killer instincts. The “Djoker” made no unforced mistakes on the way to the Paris triumph in seven tie-breaks.
“Thiem was treated unfairly in Austria”
“He’s currently the best,” says Bresnik. “He can handle pressure extremely well. But he’s already failed. Djokovic was second and third in his career for a long time. He also struggled with cramps. Now it’s being debated whether the cramps are preventing Alcaraz from doing the best. No. “He’ll get it under control medically. But Alcaraz isn’t as far as Djokovic yet. He has 400 games in majors, the experience and naturalness sets him apart. It’s nonsense that Alcaraz should suddenly change his style of play. He was born from a young age drilled that he fights for every ball. He should stop that now. Why? Rafael Nadal has never given up a ball in his life.”
Bresnik doesn’t believe in talking too much about the big points in tennis. “Putting things in order of importance is a crime. And confidence always comes from achievement, but achievement doesn’t come from confidence – that too is a misconception.”
Thiem: “A horror, that’s a disaster for me”
Bresnik sees a lot of work for his protégés. “Shevchenko has many deficits: The fitness doesn’t fit. The footwork also suffers from the lack of physique because he thinks he can save something. The second serve and the volley aren’t good either. But it’s good that he’s with the Tennis is already in the top 100.”
Shevchenko would have to catch up physically. “That’s why it would be good to have Stober with us during training. But that’s not affordable for a player in his class.”
Grabher’s support is also the exception rather than the rule. “Stober puts in so much effort, he just wants to focus on one player. That’s his only weakness for me.”
Bresnik: “The debate about Thiem is absurd”
Grabher, number 58 in the world, surprised Bresnik himself. “A year ago, no one believed that she could get this far. There is nothing to prevent her from getting further. Nevertheless, it is now important not to let the trees grow into the sky, solid roots are also important.”
“Julia is a hard worker. She’s meticulous and questions everything. But that’s not always beneficial in a sport because you lose the ease. In a tennis match there are obstacles, you have to improvise and not question.”
“I went to the psychologist after the fatal fall”
Leaving Gael Monfils as coach did not hurt Bresnik. “It was foreseeable that my work with him had an expiry date. Gael is 37 and physically weak. After a good match like in Paris, he’s out for two months. His tank is empty. He’s used to refueling. Just that It doesn’t work anymore. It’s difficult then. His wife Elena Svitolina is ten years younger and plays well. He sits next to her at breakfast, wants to and feels the pain in his body. It’s not easy.”
Quitting is part of a career, but difficult for everyone. “Roger Federer was also itching in Wimbledon when he watched Andy Murray. He would have preferred the lawn to the Royal Box.”
“The spit bucket is right next to the pool”
Nav-Account mh Time07.07.2023, 04:30| Akt: 07.07.2023, 04:30
2023-07-07 02:30:00
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