World number 3 Dominic Thiem got off to a very good start to the 2020 season by reaching the final at last January’s Australian Open. The Austrian player beat 12-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in four sets winning three tie-breaks en route to advancing to his third Grand Slam final in Melbourne before losing in five sets to eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who won his 17th Grand Slam trophy. Thiem won 16 ATP titles and reached his career-high of world number 3 in the ATP Ranking on 3rd May 2020.
Thiem revealed the impact of the break due to the coronavirus outbreak on his tennis season in a recent interview to Red Bull. The ATP Tour has been suspended until 13th July 2020. The ATP will decide how the season will continue in the second part of the year.
“Obviously, it will have a massive impact on the rest of my season, but it’s the same for every player on the tour. It means everyone has to adjust. We have to wait and see when it will resume. Then, my team and I will determine how we can prepare for it and plan for the rest of the season”, said Thiem.
Thiem is confident that he will keep in form during this tough period and will be ready when the season resumes.
“I have played so much tennis in my life that maintaining my tennis form is not difficult for me. From the moment I can start hitting the ball again, the feeling comes back very quickly. There will be enough time before the first tournament to get back into top form”, added Thiem.
Thiem is taking the opportunity to recover during this period at home in Lichtenwort (Austria).
“Regenerating and switching off is at least as important as the training itself. Coming home is very important to me. This is where I recover the fastest, especially mentally. When it’s not possible to come back home between tournaments, I try to do some sightseeing. There is always something new to experience in big cities”, said Thiem.
