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Dominic Thiem had enjoyed a good start to 2020, having reached the final of the Australian Open. The World No. 3 endured a painfully close defeat in Melbourne to Novak Djokovic, which prevented him from lifting his maiden Grand Slam.
Unfortunately for Thiem though, his wait had to continue even further as the COVID-19 pandemic took over and caused a mass shutdown of everything, including tennis.
In a recent interview with DerStandard, Dominic Thiem revealed his eagerness for tennis to resume and also gave some inputs regarding this year’s US Open.
It’s about time that tennis started: Dominic Thiem
Tennis has been at a standstill since the beginning of March, when lockdowns were enforced around the globe. It took five months for the sport to resume, with the ongoing Palermo Open. On the contrary, football (Bundesliga) resumed in May and the Premier League followed suit in June. Cricket and F1 too saw a return to business much before tennis.
This delay has left Dominic Thiem rather peeved, as it has potentially upset his rhythm and form post the Australian Open. Thiem has given himself plenty of match practice by participating in several exhibition tournaments during the lockdown - including the controversial Adria Tour, but that's not the same as real tournaments.
Now that tennis is on the cusp of restarting competitively, Dominic Thiem is itching to get back on the court.
"Tennis is certainly one of the really big sports worldwide. And the others like Formula 1 and basketball have all started again. So it's about time that tennis follows suit,” Thiem said.
The three-time Grand Slam finalist is one of the favourites to win the US Open, should the tournament take place. But before that lies the challenge of Cincinnati, which Dominic Thiem is likely to take part in.
The US Open will be a new experience for all of us: Dominic Thiem
Even though the likes of Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic got their wish of a having a bigger entourage granted, the overall atmosphere of the Grand Slam will remain very unusual. The USTA plans to host the tournament in a protective “bubble”, which could potentially hinder the free movement of players on the grounds. Needless to say, there will be no fans in attendance either - about which Thiem has expressed his dismay in the past.
The Austrian continues to be unsure about the entire affair, and claimed it would be a ‘new experience’.
"No spectators, just a very, very small team, otherwise only in the hotel. It will be a very, very new experience for all of us,” Thiem said.
As it stands, the men’s draw of the US Open is set to miss the likes of Roger Federer (due to his injury), Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini. The mass exodus of top players doesn’t bode well for the tournament, and Dominic Thiem believes more top players could follow suit and pull out.
As such, there may not be too many challenges in Thiem’s draw now that he would be seeded second. The Austrian believes that even if he progressed far this year, it wouldn't hold as much value as his achievement in this year's Australian Open.
"You have to be honest, some of the top players will definitely cancel. That means that a possible way to get far at this tournament would be worth less than normal than it was in Australia. Still, I'm looking forward to it," Thiem said.
