Dominic Thiem happily back in Vienna after winning the US Open – Magazin Sport Nachrichten

The world number three has now moved away from the place of triumph in New York, but he has not yet realized everything. Not only the jet lag, but also the numerous media inquiries in the United States have given Thiem little time to think. Even he barely allowed himself to sleep. “I have slept maybe two hours in the last 50 hours. I am quite ‘battered’, but I am still very happy and also glad to be back on Austrian soil now.”

How do you feel when you wake up like a Grand Slam winner: Thiem couldn’t answer this question. “I didn’t wake up because I haven’t fallen asleep yet,” Thiem said with a smile. Still, you can probably live your dream. Of course, none of this has changed anything about his state of pure happiness since he achieved his greatest professional goal, winning a Grand Slam tournament.

“It will certainly take a while until I realize that. It will only disappear when I have had a good rest,” explained the Lichtenwörther. Physically you will recover quickly. “I can’t know how he is emotionally, because that has been the big goal for several years.” Every day, whether in training or in a game, this goal was on his head. “This absolute will to achieve the goal. Now I have.” He does not expect the void that some athletes report after such great successes. “Especially in tennis there are a lot of great tournaments. Paris will start in less than two weeks.” Now he wants to enjoy a few days with family and friends and reflect on what he has achieved.

After the exciting final “thriller” against Alexander Zverev, Thiem reported a rapid recovery from thigh cramps. And Thiem also hopes that the Achilles tendon and problems are under control by “Paris at the latest.”

For Thiem, the Flushing Meadows title is the beginning of the next segment of his career: the burden of searching for the first major title has “completely disappeared.” “I hope a little from myself that from now on I will approach the big tournaments and the big games with a little bit more ease and therefore I can play even better.”

The “life in the bubble” because of the corona virus will also accompany Thiem in Paris. Even in New York it was mentally very difficult. “It was very strict, we had a test every three days and there was security everywhere. The hotel registered exactly where the border is, if you cross the border you are excluded. It was an extremely strict mask requirement.”

His physio Alex Stober once had the mask under his nose on the bus because he had been drinking or eating. “That gave an immediate penalty. It was really rigorous and it will be the same in Paris.” Thiem understands. “Grand Slam tennis tournaments are one of the most important sporting events out there and there are a lot of people involved. The US Open, which with the exception of Paire, went smoothly, was a great role model for upcoming tournaments “.

Thiem confirmed the impression that, as a tennis player or even as an athlete, you sometimes feel like you are in a science fiction movie, because a lot of things happen virtually or through television screens. Humanity suffers it. “It feels like something out of a future movie. But I don’t think that’s good if it is. It has to be now, because of the virus, and it’s okay if it’s for a while longer.” it stays that way until the virus is defeated or an antidote has been found, but then it would be good and important if it goes back to how it was before the corona crisis. “

Not only is human closeness missing, interaction with other people. Thiem’s ​​warm hug with Zverev after the final triumph was also a blessing. “You can certainly do it like this for a few more tournaments, but I think humanity should always come first,” Thiem explained.

Looking at the ATP rankings, in which Thiem is currently third, does not currently dominate the thoughts of the 17-time tournament winner. Now the focus is on the French Open. “Of course the big goal is now marked and of course number 1 is buzzing somewhere in the head, but not now.” Now he wants to play his best in Paris. “I hope to take advantage of the tailwind that hit me with the US Open title.”

He wants to start training in the sand at the weekend and travel to Paris on Wednesday next week. With the relief in my luggage that the pressure, partly self-imposed, is no longer as strong. “I would have looked back crying over my career if I had never made it.” After all, his 3-0 record in the grand finals was omnipresent in the New York final. “The loss in Australia in particular was really painful because it felt like I was close. I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if it hadn’t worked again,” Thiem confessed.

Thiem commented on some other topics:

– Opening to a new girlfriend: “In principle, I am open to everything, but the focus is completely on my career, as it has been in recent years. In the near future it will be difficult anyway, because there is a bubble everywhere parts and all private pleasure becomes one. Disqualification punished (laughs) “.

– How difficult it can be to watch: “When you sit in front of the television and cheer on an athlete of whom you are a great admirer, it can be really cruel. It is very difficult, I admire everyone who has made it through the match (laughs)”.

– A new life after the Grand Slam title: “I feel the same as before. Of course that is the end goal of my career in a sporting sense, but it has to be that I generally do not make my life depend on success in my career “. Otherwise, you will not be happy and you will not be happy after your career either. The level of consciousness will probably go up a lot, but I can handle that pretty well. “

– Changing of the guard: “I don’t see it that way, because Djokovic and Nadal will be in top form in Paris and when they are in top form they will continue to be the big favorites in all tournaments. I think above all that Nadal has an advantage over us because simply He was not in New York and has been training on clay in Europe for a long time. “