Dominic Thiem: “I have learned to accept things”
The Thiem in the new version suffers from the consequences of several interventions on his right wrist, i.e. unfortunately his hitting hand, with which he was able to swing a brutal forehand whip. “It doesn’t feel like it did before the injury,” he reports – and at the same time assures that he won’t break because of this job-threatening handicap. “I have learned,” he asserts, “to accept things.” His expression reveals that it is difficult for him.
Not surprisingly, Thiem has also experienced fluctuations in his emotional state during the ongoing difficult times. He also talked about this with Mario Götze, yes, the man who shot Germany to the World Cup title in 2014. Thiem feels connected to him; Götze was also “at the top” and then encountered “obstacles”. “He’s a really nice guy,” says Thiem, “exchanging ideas with someone like that is incredibly valuable.”
Thiem still has to decide his future for himself. He wants to give himself time until the end of the year and find out whether he can work his way back up the world rankings enough to avoid qualifying for the big tournaments like next week in Madrid or the French Open. He also wants to listen within himself to what “my feeling” is telling him.
If he realizes at the end of the year that he should probably quit, he can cope with it – at least Thiem claims. “I would be completely at peace with myself.”