Dominic Thiem: “I’ve stopped comparing myself to the player I was before; It’s pointless”

Dominic Thiem has unarguably been an inferior version of himself since winning the US Open in 2020. The former World No. 3 hasn't won a single title since his solitary Grand Slam triumph and currently sits in the 91st place in the ATP rankings.

Thiem began 2024 by making it to the main draw of Brisbane International through the qualifiers, only to lose to Rafael Nadal in the first round. He then suffered a first-round defeat against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Australian Open.

The Austrian hit deeper waters in March as he couldn't win against Daniel Michalski in his Szekesfehervar Challengers opener. A few days later, he managed to better Filip Krajinovic in the first round of the Zadar Challengers but fell to compatriot Lukas Neumayer in the next match.

Thiem recently defeated Germany's Maximilian Marterer 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4 in the opening round of the Estoril Open 2024. This was just his second win in the new season for the man who won 17 titles between 2015 and 2020.

Dominic Thiem, however, hasn't been carrying any baggage from the past. He recently admitted that he's far from his prime days but looks forward to making the best out of his worst after the wrist injury.

"It's a different galaxy. It's a lot of different things. I had a bit more power, more confidence. I simply played better tennis, it was more fluid. There are a lot of differences, but I've stopped comparing myself to the player I was before. It's pointless and I'm trying to do my best with my current situation," Dominic Thiem said (via Tennishead).

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Dominic Thiem to face Richard Gasquet at Estoril Open next

Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem is scheduled to take on France's Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open 2024.

Thiem has played against Gasquet five times thus far and holds a 3-2 lead in terms of the head-to-head record. He wasn't able to win against the Frenchman in their first two duels at the Swiss Indoors in 2015 and the Erste Bank Open in 2017.

But the 30-year-old clinched three wins over Gasquet in as many clashes that followed. He bettered him at the China Open (2019), Moselle Open (2022), and in Monte-Carlo last year.

Gasquet notably entered the main draw in Estoril as the lucky loser and received a bye in the opening round. In the qualifying rounds, he was able to overcome Gastao Elias but failed against Lucas Pouille.