Dominic Thiem and Alex Stober - abrupt end of a successful partnership
Dominic Thiem and physiotherapist Alex Stober go their separate ways. This comes as a surprise in view of the great mutual successes.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Sep 22, 2021, 08:00 pm
If Dominic Thiem will hopefully return to the ATP tour soon, then a familiar face will be missing in the Austrian's box: Alex Stober. The renowned physiotherapist confirmed this to tennisnet.com. Stober joined the Thiem team in 2015, at the time still through Günter Bresnik, who was Thiem's coach and manager until 2019.
Together with Stober Dominic Thiem achieved his greatest successes, especially the victory at the US Open 2020. There the physio played a very special role, not only because of the limited number of companions that the players were allowed to take with them on site. In his quarter-finals against Alex de Minaur, Thiem overstretched his ankle when a ball slipped. Stober treated his protégé until the early morning hours of the following day, laying the foundation for the two following victories against Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev .
At the beginning of this season, Alex Stober was always on the side of Thiem, be it in Australia, in Dubai or during the clay court season. A familiar image that will no longer exist.
Positive feedback from Thiem
Dominic Thiem is currently healing his right wrist injury from the tournament in Mallorca. In July, Stober resumed his work with Thiem in Vienna, initially it was about mobilizing the spared body, Thiem's personal goal was to compete at the US Open. In the meantime, Jez Green had also joined Team Thiem, a man Alex Stober has known and appreciated for years.
The return to training was promising, Thiem had always given positive feedback, Dominic wanted to make his comeback planned in New York. What it wouldn't have been enough for at the end of the day, said Stober. A setback followed, after a new investigation it was clear: Dominic Thiem will no longer play tournament tennis in 2021. During this phase, Galo Blanco, the new Thiem manager in the service of the Kosmos Group, told him that the cooperation was over, Stober told tennisnet.com.
Upheavals in the Thiem team
Alex Stober is particularly disappointed about one thing: "I was absolutely loyal to Dominic for six years - and then he doesn't even have the courage to tell me that we are no longer working together." That Dominic Thiem performed a few weeks ago at ServusTV still explained that Stober was still part of his team, although the separation had already been completed, the Nuremberg-born does not understand.
A request from tennisnet.com to Dominic Thiem's management on this matter has so far remained unanswered.
Stober used to work at Stich, Agassi, Kerber, Sampras, Kuerten
The fact is: During the time Alex Stober took care of Dominic Thiem, the now 28-year-old completed one of the greatest workloads on the ATP tour. And always injury-free. The separation at the current time raises some questions, especially since Thiem, as before, could have benefited from the experience of Stober, who has already worked with Pete Sampras, Michael Stich, Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten, Angelique Kerber or Li Na.
Stober himself would like to continue working in the tennis circus. There have already been initial inquiries, and he is currently exploring his options. According to Stober, it is important for him to be able to help shape the preparation for the tennis season with a player. Just as he has done so successfully with Dominic Thiem in recent years.