French Open run gives me confidence I can play at a high level even in non-peak condition: Dominic Thiem
It's been a whirlwind month for Austria's Dominic Thiem. The World No. 3 won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last month, beating his good friend Alexander Zverev in a see-saw five-set final. He then played an intense fourth-round encounter at the French Open against Hugo Gaston to reach the quarters, where he lost in a thrilling five-setter to Diego Schwartzman.
Thiem will now take a break for a couple of weeks before returning to the courts at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, which is scheduled to begin on 26 October. The Austrian will be looking to defend the title he won last year, where he had beaten Schwartzman in the final.
Upon arriving in his home country of Austria from his Paris sojourn, Dominic Thiem spoke to reporters about his tumultuous month and what he can use from the experience for his future tournaments.
Apart from the 5th set in the French Open quarterfinal, there weren't any major physical problems: Dominic Thiem
Speaking in an interview with local media, Thiem said that although he is disappointed by his French Open loss, he is now more confident about his base level of play in big events.
"It makes me confident for future Grand Slam tournaments that even if I no longer feel in peak condition, I can still play for five hours at a very high level," Thiem said. "Apart from the fifth set (in the quarter-final), there weren't any major physical problems."
"In the fourth round, I somehow fought my way out. Against Schwartzman it was almost possible. At some point, the later a Grand Slam goes, the opponent simply becomes too strong," he added.
Recalling his run through the French Open, Thiem added that the cold weather made the conditions even more difficult for all players.
"You play with incredible intensity, then you change sides, and when you get up you're a bit stiff, it's cold. The conditions are brutal for every player, but that's just how it is in October in Paris," Thiem said.
Dominic Thiem added that he plans to play the ATP Masters in Paris and the season-ending ATP Finals in London as of now, provided the events go ahead as scheduled.
“You don't know now what is going on. I heard that Paris is still being discussed, but it should take place, and I think exactly the same applies to London too," he said.