Dominic Thiem wants "sun & fresh air" after hectic season, says his Iceland vacation got cancelled because of COVID
World No. 3 Dominic Thiem ended a memorable 2020 season with a heartbreaking defeat in the summit clash of the ATP Finals on Sunday. The Austrian star lost to Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, settling for the runner-up trophy at the season-ending event for the second year running.
That said, Dominic Thiem would still be satisfied with his performance this season overall. He ended his wait for a maiden Grand Slam trophy by capturing the US Open, and he also finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open. The 27-year-old also participated in a series of exhibition events during the tour suspension.
Ever since the resumption of the tour, Dominic Thiem and the rest of the players have had to stay in bio-secure bubbles with little to no outside contact. That has also deprived them of the elements of nature and fresh air, as Thiem pointed out in a recent interview.
"I'm looking forward to getting out there, having a bit more sun and fresh air," Dominic Thiem was quoted as saying by Eurosport.
The two-time French Open finalist further mentioned that he had planned a trip to Iceland during the off-season, just like 2019. However, the recently renewed COVID-19 restrictions in Europe meant that he had to cancel his trip.
"I actually wanted to fly to Iceland and Sweden, but that is no longer possible because of the corona rules," Dominic Thiem continued.
It will be nice to play in full stadiums again: Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem hopes to carry forward his magnificent form over to the upcoming season as well. Thiem recently stated that he would love to climb further up in the rankings, from his current position of No. 3.
However, the lack of spectators in the stands is something that continues to bother the Austrian.
"It will probably be all the nicer to play in full stadiums again," Thiem said. At the same time, the World No. 3 acknowledged that tennis players are "incredibly privileged that we were able to play the big tournaments despite the pandemic".
Dominic Thiem is set to play in the Australian Open at the start of 2021, although the dates of the tournament are yet to be confirmed. Thiem has also changed his mind about the Olympics, having recently clarified that he plans to play in the 2021 Tokyo Games next year.
The reigning US Open champion will be hoping to use his break from tennis to recharge his batteries for the packed 2021 season. It will be interesting to see if he can better his 2020 performance next year, and maybe even win his second Major in Australia.