Dominic Thiem makes ‘disillusion’ confession about his US Open win
Dominic Thiem has offered up some intriguing insights into his mindset after he won the 2020 US Open, as he admits he was underwhelmed by the impact it had on his career.
Thiem called time on his career at the age of 31 this week after losing his battling with ongoing injuries and in a compelling appearance on the latest A New Way of Being podcast, Thiem revealed how he felt flat emotionally after his victory against Alexander Zverev in the final at Flushing Meadows four years ago.
The match was played in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium amid the Covid lockdown and ban on spectators, with Thiem telling broadcaster Simon Mundie that he was surprised by the lack of adulation he felt after his US Open win.
“I was living way too much in disillusion,” stated the Austrian, who called time on his career amid emotional scenes in Vienna this week.
“I was like, I’m going to be happy if I win this title. Playing tennis and playing on the tour will be easier forever.
“I was living way too much in disillusion when I won the US Open. It worked for like four or five weeks as I played in euphoria, and also the ATP finals, I played like I was in euphoria.
“Then after that, I realised, actually, nothing, nothing changed. This ecstasy stopped after the finals when I went on holiday and when I came to relax a bit.
“Then, all the high was gone. Then there, there came a really difficult period, because then, I mean, all those emotions, all those high activities in my head, they were just gone.
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“There I realised that, basically nothing changed. I have to enjoy the process and I cannot chase after results because it’s like running after something that just clearly doesn’t exist.
“So that’s why, for personal reasons, it was a really interesting period and a very important period.
“Before that, I was like a little naive kid chasing the dream and thinking that once I reached a dream, I’m gonna live in Wonderland. So yeah, it was interesting and important.
“The period from the Australian Open in 2021 onwards, I was way more unhappy than before I won the Slam. Experiencing this and living through this was really difficult.
“All the emotions were coming up. All the thoughts I had before were coming up and I was on the road to nowhere.”
Thiem admits his Grand Slam win may be forgotten due to the curious period of the Covid pandemic and the reality that the last 15 years of men’s tennis will always be remembered for the triumphs of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“In some years or in some decades, probably nobody will really be interested in who won a Grand Slam in the year 2020 or who won the Premier League in the year 2010,” he added.
“It’s very tough, but sometimes I really have to tell this to myself to see the bigger picture and to have like or to take all the other things apart.
“So that’s very important, I think, as well, to never lose, like the big picture out of sight.”
Thiem may fear his solitary major title will be lost amid a curious time in all our lives, but the record books will always confirm he is a US Open champion.
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