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World No. 3 Dominic Thiem is taking a well-deserved break from tennis, after a hectic 2020 season where he played almost non-stop. Writing in a new blog post on his website, Thiem also revealed he is looking forward to soaking up the unique atmosphere at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.
After ending his season last weekend by losing to Daniil Medvedev in the summit clash of the ATP Finals, Thiem is planning to take the next 10 days off. The Austrian wants to fully recharge his batteries before beginning his preparations for the 2021 season.
"Finally I’m on vacation! My first Grand Slam title in New York, reaching the finals in Melbourne and at the Masters – a very successful season has come to an end. Now I am going to relax for 10 days, going abroad is not possible because of the pandemic, that’s why I will spend my days at home in Austria," Dominic Thiem wrote in his latest blog post.
"No practice sessions, no appointments, and I will only turn on my cell phone for a short while – I also want to recharge the battery completely as I have big goals for 2021, even though nobody knows exactly, when we will be allowed to get started in Australia," he continued.
I want to feel the emotions myself: Dominic Thiem on why he has decided to play in the Tokyo Olympics
Dominic Thiem had originally decided against participating in the Tokyo Games, since it clashed with his home ATP event at Kitzbuhel. But the 27-year-old has made a U-turn on his decision, encouraged by coach Nicolas Massu - who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
"I am going to participate at the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo starting on July 23! I have been thinking about it for a longer period of time, and next year it eventually fits into my tournament schedule," Dominic Thiem wrote.
"And I am looking forward to it to compete for a medal. My coach Nicolas Massu won two gold medals in Athens in 2004, he told me about the incredibly wonderful emotions. I want to feel these kind of emotions myself. For an athlete the atmosphere at the Olympics must be unique, I want to soak it all up," he added.
Dominic Them had earlier confirmed his presence for the 2021 edition of the Laver Cup, to be held in Boston. The Austrian loves the format of the team event, as it has a good balance between the competitive and fun aspects of the sport.
Thiem also said he hopes to see fans back in the stadiums by the time the tournament comes around.
"I totally like this format of tennis. On the one hand everybody is completely serious about it, everybody wants to win this trophy – on the other hand we have so much fun, the best tennis players present themselves as friends and cheer for each other," Dominic Thiem said.
"I managed to win the trophy twice with “Team Europe“, I want to win the hat-trick in 2021! The fans can also look forward to an attractive challenge, all I hope for is that we will have spectators back at the venues by September, live!" he added.
