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Dominic Thiem ended up lifting the trophy in the Belgrade leg of the Adria Tour on Sunday, defeating hometown favorite Filip Krajinovic 4-3(2) 2-4 4-2. The only player in the tournament to have played tennis since the lockdown - he had taken part in the Austrian Pro series earlier this month - Thiem went unbeaten through the weekend in the Serbian capital.
Speaking after the tournament, Dominic Thiem reflected on what was a remarkable weekend for him. The Austrian said that despite his near-flawless tennis, winning the trophy was not his only reason to come to Belgrade.
In a press conference with reporters after the event, the World No. 3 announced that he was donating his prize money to two charities - the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute in Vienna, as well as a brittle bone disease charity.
The 26-year-old also thanked Novak Djokovic, the organizer of the tournament, for being great hosts.
"It’s great that it ended up like that, but first of all I had a really great time here," Thiem said. "I had an amazing weekend. It was for a good cause, too, so it couldn’t be better. So a big thank you to Novak (Djokovic) and his team, his family, for organizing this great event, and making the time special for us here."
Dominic Thiem had previously announced a behind-closed-doors tournament to promote tennis in Austria, the prize money of which could be as much as 150,000 euros. He is also hosting an invitational tournament in Kitzbuhel called 'Thiem's 7', to be held from 7th July to 11th July.
It was a perfect week: Dominic Thiem on Adria Tour in Belgrade
Speaking at the press conference about his experience in Belgrade and his tennis, Dominic Thiem said:
"It was a perfect weekend. I’m happy with the level I played this week. I’ve been fully in practice for quite a while - I played seven matches in Austria."
Dominic Thiem further went on to talk about the role of fan presence in tennis and how it impacts his game. The Austrian said:
"I have to say, it’s something very different with the big crowd. You’re a little bit tight and you want to play better, because you’re not just playing for yourself, you also want to give the fans a good show. So I’m super happy that I won all of my matches."
The World No. 3 had also been spotted around the city of Belgrade with Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov. Speaking about their camaraderie and their relationship off the court, Dominic Thiem said:
"We’ve all had pretty tough times the last weeks, the last months, and we didn’t see each other. We all have a great relationship with each other, and we’ve had some great quality time together here."
Dominic Thiem now continues with his packed schedule, starting with the next leg of the Adria Tour in Zadar, Croatia. He will then move on to the innovative Ultimate Tennis Showdown exhibition tournament in France, before going back to Austria for the next phase of the Austrian Pro Series and then 'Thiem's 7'.
