SO, WHO’S DOMINIC THIEM?
He is not from a tennis hotbed. Thiem comes from the eastern corner of Austria, the market town of Lichtenworth. His parents, Wolfgang and Karin, are tennis coaches based there.
He loves football. Thiem is an ardent Chelsea fan, and even walks around the locker room wearing a Blues shirt with ‘Thieminho’ printed on the back. He has a phenomenal appetite
for playing tournaments. No top player turns up at more events than the 23 year-old. Last year he played 27 tournaments plus a Davis Cup match, only taking a break during the olympics. He says he would always prefer to do this rather than spend weeks training. He was not a teen phenomenon. Thiem had a strong junior career but was not outstanding. He reached No 2 in the ITF junior rankings but never won a junior Grand Slam event. At the 2010 French open boys’ event he was beaten by Britain’s Ashley Hewitt, who has since retired.
He has a signature shot. Although there have been countless prophesies that the single-handed backhand will die out, Thiem is proof that the obituaries are premature. He switched after playing it double-handed until the age of 13. He does not leave his social media to chance. Unlike many players, Thiem insists on running his own Facebook page, giving it a more personal touch.