Karin Thiem: "New impulses were needed"
Dominic Thiem is also one of the big favorites for the title in Madrid after winning the tournament in Barcelona. Tennisnet.com had a conversation with his mother Karin Thiem before the Austrian's first encounter in the Spanish capital against Reilly Opelka. (Dominic Thiem's game against Reilly Opelka is available from 7 p.m. in the tennisnet live ticker!)
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
May 07, 2019, 09:42 am
How is Dominic Thiem? How does he feel before the tournament?
I think he's very well. I just got here today and just ate with him. The mood is good. After a tournament victory you are always in a good mood.
Dominic feels very comfortable in Madrid and has reached the final in the past two years. What does he expect from this tournament?
Difficult question. He is there to play tennis well. Of course you come to a tournament to win it - but he does it at every tournament, not just in Madrid.
Dominic has already played a training set against Novak Djokovic and won it 6-2. How important is it to get a good performance in training?
Training is always training. Everyone tries something out there. You can't put that on the match.
Has Dominic made anything special for his clay court game or is he already ready to beat everyone with his best game?
Of course, he always tries to play his game. The game is already adapted to the opponent. It makes a huge difference whether he plays against Rafael Nadal or Reilly Opelka. Opelka is a premium and you have to do something different and adjust to the match differently.
Of course, Paris is a highlight as a Grand Slam tournament.
Karin Thiem
The big season highlight awaits Dominic with the tournament in Paris. Does he see the tournaments in Madrid and Rome as preparation or does he go to them to make sure they win?
Each tournament stands for itself. Of course, Paris is a highlight as a Grand Slam tournament, but Rome and Madrid are both great tournaments. I think he is playing to win.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about changing coaches from Günter Bresnik to Nicolas Massu. How do you feel about this decision?
I agree with Dominic's decision. It was good to make a change. They were traveling together for a very long time - almost 15 years - and certain things simply wear out. New impulses were needed and he has now implemented that. I think it's positive for everyone.
Is it conceivable that Günter Bresnik will return to the coaching team?
I don't know (laughs).
Both men and women are at the start in Madrid. Is it an additional motivation that Kristina Mladenovic is also here and therefore both want to be there as long as possible?
I do believe that they motivate each other. That fits really well because they understand each other's daily routine. A "normal" girlfriend wouldn't understand what is going on all day. Kiki is a professional himself. They basically do the same thing all day.
Roger Federer returns to sand in Madrid and threatens Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals. What do you expect from him?
Roger is always good for the tournament win, no matter what surface. He is one of the best tennis players ever. So you always have to count on him.
Final question: who wins in Madrid?
(laughs) I can only hope Dominic wins.
The interview was conducted by Nikolaus Fink