“It is far from easy,” Dominic Thiem counts his struggles while trying to become successful again in the sport
Dominic Thiem is facing some tough times as he try to rebuild himself to take on the challenges of the 2023 season.
Follow Us
Dominic Thiem (Image Credit: TennisBuzz)
There was a time when Dominic Thiem was considered the “next big thing in tennis.” Tennis fans expected him to take the legacy of “The Big Three” forward. He also proved himself on the international stage.
He played back-to-back finals at the French Open in 2018 and 2019. He also played in the final of the Australian Open 2020 and subsequently won the US Open 2020 men’s singles title. This is his career’s only Grand Slam title. He also finished second in the ATP Finals in 2019 and 2020.
However, soon, his struggles with form and fitness began. He also dropped ranking points and is currently ranked World No.96 in the ATP rankings. In his latest interview, he talked about his struggles.
“It’s just up to me. I could take Roger Federer as a mental coach that wouldn’t help me either (…). In Melbourne, you could see after the final how Novak Djokovic was energized and it was literally coming out of him. In fact, it is a difficult phase when you are successful. It’s not really fun. I’ve always had trouble savoring victories. I try to get away from the idea of being a machine. No more training for hours without thinking of anything. I try to enjoy the beautiful things more. For me, that means nice shots or good points. But it is far from easy,” he said.
Keep Exploring: “It was more than just tennis,” Jimmy Connors pays tribute to John McEnroe detailing their rivalry
Dominic Thiem’s performances this season
To say the 29-year-old is struggling to regain his position in the sport would be an understatement. In the last few years, Dominic Thiem has seen a substantial decline in form. He gave a string of disappointing performances, which made it difficult for him to advance into the later stages of the tournaments.
He made his way back into professional sports after sitting out for months in 2022. He played his first match of the 2022 season in the Madrid Open. However, he lost to Andy Murray in the first round of this tournament. This loss forced him out of the top 150 in the ATP rankings. This loss forced him out of the Top 150 in the ATP rankings. He also lost his first-round encounter against Hugo Dellien at the French Open, which dropped him out of the Top 300.
However, in the same year, he delivered some inspiring performances to reclaim his place in male tennis. He also managed to gain a position in the Top 100 of the ATP rankings by the end of last year.
This season was expected to be a breakthrough year for Dominic Thiem. However, his performances in Australia are far from satisfactory. He lost to Andrey Rublev in his first-round match in straight sets (3-6, 4-6, 2-6). He is also having a tough time in the Davis Cup, as he has yet to win a match or even a set this year.
In case you missed it:
“I put myself under a lot of pressure,” Garbine Muguruza reflects on a difficult 2022 season
Stay Updated!
Abhar Indorkar
(451 Articles Published)