Dominic Thiem and the Sunshine Double: Now it's time
Dominic Thiem fell far short of his expectations on the South American clay court swing. Thanks to a wildcard double pack, the Austrian now has something like a second chance in America.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Mar 02, 2023, 10:32 pm
Maybe when he returns to the place that was able to give Dominic Thiem's career another big boost almost exactly four years ago, the Austrian will click. It would be necessary, as unusual abysses have opened up for the former world number three in recent weeks. Which Thiem himself really brought up for the first time.
Now the mental problems that are currently troubling the Lichtenwörther cannot be downplayed. At the same time, however, Thiem knows that it is in him. At least that's what the Austrian shows every training session anew. What's missing is being able to deliver these performances under competitive conditions and under pressure. And so it just keeps getting bigger.
Thiem disappointed in South America
The declared goal of being in the top 30 after the European clay court tournaments, in order to have a place in the seeding list at best at the French Open, seems farther away than ever. Only Alex Molcan from Slovakia has been able to defeat Thiem so far this season. Most recently, it lost to supposed small caliber players like Thiago Monteiro, Juan Pablo Varillas or Cristian Garin. And thus a more than manageable number of points from the tournaments on the South American clay.
However, the ray of hope on the horizon now comes from the USA. The states of unlimited opportunity? Under this motto, Thiem could first move to Indian Wells, then to Miami, where the 29-year-old is in the main draw thanks to a wildcard. The latter in particular comes as a surprise, but is no less welcome. Mainly because Thiem now desperately needs every point for the world rankings.
Thiem relies on wildcard
Of course, the omens could hardly be worse. Thiem has the worm inside and has been in the 2023 season for eight weeks now. You will look in vain for any real exclamation marks. At the same time, the Austrian made gains week after week, especially in the season finish of the previous year, recently showed tennis again, which could also go to the top 10 players. The expectation of a wildcard behind him is also doubly and trebly motivated for the 29-year-old to deliver good performances.
Also to recommend yourself for the free ticket to the main draw in the future. Because Thiem will probably also need this for the European clay court 1000s. The reputation of some good performances in Madrid, Rome & Co in the past few days can help here. If the current performance is right. And Thiem now has the perfect (second) chance in Miami and Indian Wells.