In the press conference after yesterday’s first round match at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Brisbane between comebackers Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem the Spaniard spoke about the future of the former world number three from Austria.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edited: January 3, 2024, 1:00 p.m
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Rafael Nadal sees a successful 2024 for Dominic Thiem if he stays healthy
After the opening defeat at the ATP hard court event in Brisbane against record player Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem openly admitted that the return was still a big construction site. The setback has been giving the 30-year-old a headache for a while: “It’s a problem that’s been bothering me for a long time: I can’t put enough pressure on my opponent when returning.”
Against players of the caliber of Nadal, who is so dominant with his first ball, this makes it much more difficult, the Lower Austrian continued.
“See him in a much higher position”
The Spanish matador still sees the 2020 US Open champion in a difficult phase of his career, but is confident that Thiem could soon make a big leap forward in the ATP rankings. “I think he started this year again with the ambition to have a successful season and to end it in a better position,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion in the press conference after the game on Tuesday.
“And I also think that’s what will happen if he stays healthy. If he’s able to win matches and regain confidence in himself, I don’t see him ranking around 100 – no. I see him in a much higher position, quite honestly.” And if anyone knows how to be successful again on the men’s tour after an injury-related break, it would probably be Rafael Nadal.
Here is the individual tableau from Brisbane.
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2024-01-03 17:06:00
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