"I love spicy food, maybe I had too much of it" - Dominic Thiem reveals stomach issues that stopped him from doing anything for weeks on end
Dominic Thiem had a long bout of stomach illness after the US Open, so severe that he could not do anything for two weeks. Thankfully, the Austrian is fine now and raring to go at the Vienna Open in front of his home fans.
At his pre-tournament press conference, the former US Open champion revealed that the sickness hit him during Flushing Meadows, where he retired in the second round against Ben Shelton.
Thiem did not know the exact cause of the disease, although he speculated that it might have been due to some bad water or food he had somewhere. The 30-year-old joked that it might have be the result of some spicy food he had too much of.
"It was a long story with my stomach. After the US Open, I couldn't do anything for two weeks before I could start training again. But now I'm fine again.
"All I know is that it wasn't bacteria. Maybe I got some bad water or food somewhere. I love spicy food, maybe I had too much of it," Dominic Thiem said.
In Vienna, Dominic Thiem takes on fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in his opener. Thiem admitted that the Greek would be the favorite in the tie but hopes to make life as difficult as possible for his opponent.
"He's the favorite for sure, but if I bring my performance to the court, I'm sure I'll have chances. The last duels were all very close and were only decided in the tiebreak of the last set. Especially indoors, often only a few points decide," Thiem said.
Dominic Thiem won the Vienna Open in 2019
Dominic Thiem is a former winner at the Vienna Open, winning in 2019 by beating Diego Schwartzman in the final. The Austrian reckons that the victory will help him with nerves this time around as he hopes to put on a good show in front of his home fans.
"In the first years here, that might have inhibited me a little. Now it's no longer like that, especially since I was able to win the tournament in 2019. I'm looking forward to that positive energy, which is incredibly helpful for me," Dominic Thiem said.
A win against Stefanos Tsitsipas will pit the 30-year-old against either Aleksandar Vukic or Tomas Machac in the second round.