From Thiem I have learned that this sport is unforgiving

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The journey of Dominic Thiem in Grand Slam events ended at the US Open 2024, where four years ago he reached the pinnacle by lifting the most important title of his career. It was Ben Shelton who stopped him in the first round, thus closing a new chapter in the Austrian's record. Later, gathered with the accredited tournament journalists, we could hear the American assessing his triumph and analyzing the lessons learned from his experiences with Dominic in recent seasons.

First-round victory

"I think it was a good start on my part, I couldn't tell you a factor that I wasn't satisfied with. I believe I served very well, did a great job dictating play with my forehand, it's the best I've hit my forehand in a while. I think at the net, I had an efficiency of 24/28, so I can't complain about how I started this Grand Slam."

Semifinals here in 2023

"I don't really feel butterflies, lately I haven't felt many butterflies when I have to step onto the court. I think after what happened last year, the stage can't get any bigger than that occasion. Now I feel more accustomed, more comfortable, it's like I've been here before. I'm definitely excited; any situation where you play on Arthur Ashe is a moment you will always remember."

Gauff and Shelton, main characters at Arthur Ashe

"It's really cool to share those moments, obviously I'm not alone. Today I played against a former champion who ended his US Open career with his last match here. It's very special for both of us, also for Coco, although right now I don't know how she's doing, I hope she wins. I think it's great to be in this situation, to be on the coolest court in the world, although I haven't played on the Wimbledon Centre Court yet. This is like a dream come true, although right now I don't mind playing on any court of the tournament. If I have to go out to Court 10 or Court 12, I will go out there to fight just the same."

Thiem's career

"I remember watching his final here in 2020, I went crazy. I think Zverev served to win a couple of times in the fourth set or something, I don't know if there was a match point, so the ending was crazy. And then he also played finals at Roland Garros and the Australian Open, I mostly remember the one in Australia. In Paris, I know he played finals with Nadal, those seasons he was playing like crazy. He's a super nice guy and a great player; it's a pity to have seen him deal with so many injuries, he hasn't been treated well. If I've learned anything from him, it's that this sport is ruthless, things can change rapidly. You can be at the top of the game and suddenly your body can't hold up or something strange happens. Injuries happen all the time; tennis is not forever. Still, he has a career many people would dream of."

Where does the confidence come from?

"It's a combination of everything, my team is very honest with me. They don't sugarcoat things with me, especially my father. If my fitness trainer tells me that I am moving well and hitting the balls well, then it's true. Since Washington, I think I have improved a lot in this aspect, then I played better in Cincinnati and here I hope to do even better. I feel quite tuned in to the little things on the court, I've played many matches, which I needed before facing this tournament. This year I feel a bit different, more at peace with myself; I feel like I recognize my identity more on the court."

The danger of losing motivation, as happened to Dominic

"Those things are never known until you're in the situation; I haven't won a Grand Slam yet. It's a tough sport that is played looking at the calendar, counting how many weeks you need to compete to stay in shape. Before, guys played about 16-18 weeks, but now the average is 25-26 even in guys who are in the top 15 of the ranking. This is something that has changed and has made everything more difficult [...] Honestly, I don't know if it will ever happen to me; you never know until it happens. For now, I can't speak about that situation."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “De Thiem he aprendido que este deporte es implacable”