Dominic Thiem leaves a sweet message on social media for wheelchair tennis champion and close friend Nico Langmann
Time and again, Dominic Thiem has shown incredible support for wheelchair tennis by constantly appearing at events, posting about it on social media, and requesting those coming to him with sponsorship deals to extend their focus towards the sport.
It comes as no surprise that the former US Open champion was seen alongside Nico Langmann on his social media channels recently. The pair have known each other for a while now through Dominic Thiem's father, Wolfgang Thiem, who has been Langmann's coach since 2019.
Thiem reshared the Austrian paralympist's story and left a sweet message for his friend. "Hahaha love you @nico_langmann," read the caption.
Thiem's support for wheelchair tennis has been acknowledged by Niklas Höfken -- one of the leading coaches in the sport. In a podcast interview with sports journalist Jannik Schneider in August, Höfken mentioned how Thiem has been a role model when it comes to promoting the sport. He also spoke about how Thiem has attempted to draw the attention of the mainstream -- directing sponsors towards the players and events involved.
During the podcast interview, Höfken said, "We need tennis pros who push wheelchair tennis. In Austria, Dominic Thiem is doing a great job. When he has a new sponsor, he tells them 'You'll only get me if you give money to Austrian wheelchair tennis.'"
In May 2020, Thiem was one of the many athletes and celebrities around the world to have participated in the Wings for Life World Run organized by Red Bull. He completed a 11.4 km run, raising €120 in the process for spinal cord research.
Dominic Thiem: ATP's chosen climate change champion
Dominic Thiem has been forced to stay off the tour for nearly six months due to a wrist injury he picked up at the Mallorca Open. But he has been making headlines for all the right reasons of late. He has actively participated in discussions about climate change.
The Austrian has raised awareness through partnerships with major brands like Adidas and Parley. In his interview with GQ Magazine, the former World No. 3 explained how this sponsorship opportunity aligned with his interests.
"I play most of the major tournaments in clothes made from recycled ocean plastic. Because I am extremely interested in the topic myself, I have become an ambassador for them [Parley], and with Adidas it fits perfectly," Thiem was stated as saying by GQ Magazine.
The 2020 US Open champion has also spoken out about the lack of initiative taken by tournament organizers and other tennis players when it comes to sustainability. Fortunately this struck the right chord with the ATP Tour, who have now chosen to become a signatory of UN Sports for Climate Action (UNSCA), setting a target to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040.
I'm proud to see the @atptour step up and make a long-term commitment to protecting our planet 🌍💙 twitter.com/atptour/status…
Dominic Thiem has been roped in as an ambassador to lead the media campaign for ATP Serves' environmental sustainability commitment. The 28-year-old conveyed the importance of the need for strong, unanimous commitment from the tennis community in raising wide-scale awareness about the effects of climate change and educating the masses on how it can be tackled.
"I'm proud to see the ATP step up and make a long-term commitment to protecting our planet. This is something very close to my heart," Thiem was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour.
He added, "Climate change impacts everyone and as players we are already feeling its effects in places we play. I encourage everyone in tennis to get involved in whatever way they can. Together we can make an incredible impact."