'He has already won a lot' - Dominic Thiem's manager on why Rafael Nadal can afford to miss USO
A week ago Rafael Nadal announced that he would be absent from this year's edition of the US Open. That didn't exactly come as a surprise though, given that the Spaniard had repeatedly voiced his concerns about travel and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But some, like Dominic Thiem's manager Herwig Straka, believe that Rafael Nadal was in a unique position with respect to the New York Slam. Straka claimed that Nadal's past record gives him the luxury to miss a tournament as important as the US Open, which most players on the tour cannot afford.
Rafael Nadal or anyone else's absence does not make the US Open easier: Dominic Thiem's manager
In an interview with Austrian news agency APA, Straka said that most players consider the ranking points and financial ramifications before travelling to Masters 100 and Grand Slam events like Cincinnati and the US Open. Rafael Nadal, however, has earned the right to not worry about those things.
"A Nadal is a player who has already won a lot," said Straka. "For the vast majority of players, it is already the case that playing a tournament is still not just their job, they live for it."
"That is the main motivation, even if there are extreme restrictions like now in New York," Dominic Thiem's manager continued. "Winning a Grand Slam or a 1000 is already at the top of the list. Of course, points and financial considerations also play a role."
Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, has a lot to gain from travelling to New York. The Austrian virtually picked up no points from the two tournaments last year, having withdrawn from Cincinnati 2019 due to illness and suffering a first round defeat at Flushing Meadows a couple of weeks later. It goes without saying that he stands to gain a lot of ranking points by going deep in New York this year.
While Straka denied that ranking points were a motivating factor for Dominic Thiem, he does believe it may have helped Rafael Nadal make his decision. Skipping the US Open would have been especially appealing to the Spaniard given the provisional ranking system, where he can't gain or lose any ranking points by playing the tournament.
"I do not think so," Straka replied when asked whether Dominic Thiem had decided to enter the US Open in order to gain ranking points. "That may be a calculation with Rafa, but otherwise, it's about a Grand Slam victory."
Dominic Thiem's manager also made it clear that he does not believe Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer's absence from the US Open makes it easier for any player to win the title.
"I don't entirely agree that it's easier now because maybe one or two aren't there. It's like in a ski race: if someone is eliminated in the first round, the victory is no less worthwhile, you are still an Olympic or world champion," asserted Straka.