The Chilean Nicolás Massú, coach of Austrian Dominic Thiem, world number three, has tested positive for coronavirus and will not travel to the Australian Open, first 'big slam' of the year. Thiem, who reached the final of the Australian Open last year, where he lost to Serbian Novak Djokovic, will receive technical instructions from his father Wolfgang.
“I hope that Nicolás can join us as soon as possible,” Wolfgang Thiem said in a statement collected by the APA agency.. Massú, who won doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, has been Thiem's coach since 2019.
Due to the pandemic caused by covid-19, the players and the small equipment they carry must carry out a quarantine prior to the Australian appointments. During this time, they will only be able to leave the hotel for 5 hours a day to train with the same partner.
Thiem father and son, together with tennis Dennis Novak as a training partner, left this Wednesday for Melbourne to pass quarantine before the start of the Australian Open on February 8.