Wolfgang Thiem in a tennisnet interview: "Dominic is extremely motivated"
Wolfgang Thiem in a big tennisnet interview about Alexander Zverev's Olympic victory, the comeback of his son Dominic and the successes of his protégés Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler in Kitzbühel.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Aug 04, 2021, 08:54 am
tennisnet : Mr. Thiem. You have always had a high opinion of Alexander Zverev. Was it still surprising that Zverev was able to win against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Olympic Games?
Wolfgang Thiem : That surprised me a lot, because Djokovic had presented himself as strong as a bear up to that point. For him it was the big goal to get the "Golden Slam". And I think that in the end he failed because of this situation. Alexander Zverev made the most of the opportunity, but before the match I would have bet on Novak Djokovic. Because of the results before - and because you know: If Djokovic gets something on his mind, then he is very difficult to beat.
tennisnet : In the final against Karen Khachanov, Alexander Zverev was merciless. Besides the serve, where do you see Zverev's great strengths?
Thiem : In the past it was always said: the backhand. He can do anything with it, change directions. But he has also developed the forehand extremely, especially the ball with which he opens the court. Zverev plays it extremely well. Three or four years ago that side was even more vulnerable. When Zverev is serving well and having a good day with the forehand, he's extremely hard to beat. I like the overall package because Zverev is an excellent worker, even in the off-season. And I also liked how he put away the final defeat against Dominic at the US Open. I like him as a type, the way he looks physically, I like his game.
"Zverev had a similar situation in the final as Dominic did at the US Open"
tennisnet: Now Alexander Zverev has not yet managed to win a major against a top ten player. Do you give anything to such statistics?
Thiem : Statistics are there to be broken. I remember when Dominic flew to Asia in 2019, he played terribly before that. And then he won the tournament in Beijing and suddenly felt very comfortable. Of course, statistics are meaningful, but with Alexander Zverev it won't go on forever.
tennisnet : What is the value of an Olympic gold medal for you?
Thiem : In tennis, from my point of view, nothing beats a Grand Slam victory. The special thing about the Olympic Games is that they only take place every four years. And that there, under normal circumstances, you have a very special atmosphere because so many athletes from different disciplines meet. Tennis, on the other hand, is not a sport with a long Olympic tradition. But: For me, the success is worth no less because one or the other player was not there in Tokyo. Because Zverev beat Djokovic. And in the final he had a similar situation to Dominic at the US Open last year. Zverev was then the favorite against Khachanov. And he has mastered that.
tennisnet : Which brings us to the question: How far is your son at the moment?
Thiem : Dominic has been back in fitness training for two and a half weeks and is working on the basis again. He does a lot with Alex Stober, his physiotherapist. Therefore he is fully in the preparatory phase. Playing tennis cannot yet be described as such. It will be a few days before the medical okay. It is impossible to make predictions.
tennisnet : What is your mental state like?
Thiem : Dominic really enjoys being able to work again. If you can't do something for a long time, then you are all the more pleased. Especially then on playing tennis. He is extremely motivated. But an injury like this really has to be healed.
"Alex Erler needs more matches at this level"
tennisnet : Last week one of your protégés, Alexander Erler, not only won the singles against Carlos Alcaraz in Kitzbühel, but also won the double title with Lucas Miedler. Where is Erler now?
Thiem : First of all, I'm really happy about these results for our ATC Academy, but above all for the families of Alex and Lucas. Alex's uncle has been helping out for years, and Lucas's success would not have been possible without his father. For Alex, beating a player like Alcaraz is a huge success. At first he was desperate when Bedene withdrew and it was his turn against Alcaraz. But we said: he comes from Umag in the high altitude, so you have to be ready from the start. Alex started very well, in the second set the game could have turned completely in favor of Alcaraz - and in the third set it was on a knife's edge. Alex risked that. And for that he was rewarded. In general, you can trust Alex to beat a player like Alcaraz because he serves well and has a powerful forehand. He just needs more matches at this level.
tennisnet : How can he get these matches?
Thiem : The main problem is that the points for the futures have been reduced so much. Now there are ten for a win, before that it was 18. It used to be known: If you played six or seven futures well, then you headed for Challenger. And then towards the Grand Slam qualification. My partner Riccardo Bellotti can tell you a lot about it, he won around thirty futures. Alexander Erler has won an incredible number of matches this year. And hardly scored any points in the process. With some challengers it comes in, with some not. That is why Kitzbühel has now been so important.
tennisnet : What role does the tournament landscape in Austria play in this?
Thiem : Of course we would do it easier if we had a Challenger every two weeks, as in Italy. I think it's great when a Challenger takes place like in Salzburg / Anif. Perhaps it would have been even better if two smaller challengers had been played instead of one big one. Because Ofi (Sebastian Ofner, editor's note), who is qualified anyway, is going somewhere else anyway. But for players like Alex Erler or Luci Miedler, a smaller challenger would be even more advantageous. The level at a major challenger and an ATP Tour 250 tournament is very similar.
tennisnet : What can Erler and Miedler take with them from their double victory in Kitzbühel in the next few weeks?
Thiem : The two harmonize very well in doubles. On the one hand, Alex serves incredibly well and has powerful punches from behind. And you know from Luci that he is a great double player. It covers the network well, reacts well, is skillful. Luci has a natural feeling for how to move around the net in doubles. The constellation goes well together. It is clear that luck was also involved on the way to winning the tournament. That's part of it. It would be desirable that the two play together more often when they compete individually in the same tournaments. Mate Pavic did that for a while. And with him you can see what can become of a successful double player on the Challenger Tour, namely the best in the world.