Thiem tempers the atmosphere: “The organization does everything possible”

Dominic Thiem lives away from the problems that are affecting so many tennis players during the quarantine prior to the Australian Open. The Austrian, number 3 in the ATP ranking, sees the situation from the privileged position that has been granted to the best tennis players on the circuit, with many more amenities than most gamers who are suffering from very strict isolation at their Melbourne hotels with several weeks remaining before the start of the ocean grand slam.

From this perspective, it is easier to temper the picture, as Thiem tried to do in an interview with Eurosport Germany: “Honestly, for the 70 players who were on the planes, of course it is a very bitter situation. They will be in a serious situation. competitive disadvantage, that's for sure. There are still nine days left until the start of the Australian Open, but in contrast to others who can train normally, this is a huge disadvantage. There's no need to discuss that. It was incredibly unfortunate for them, and I feel very sorry for them. Tennis Australia and the whole country have done everything they can to make the tournament happen and that is also a sensational achievement. “

Whether or not he has that initial advantage in being able to complete better training sessions, the Austrian aims to go far in Melbourne, where last season only Novak Djokovic could take him away from the title in the final. “These are very crazy times, but we knew what to expect. Here in Australia it's a bit stricter again, which is understandable. The coronavirus is almost extinct in their country and they want to prevent it from coming back. We can train for about two hours a day and go out for about four hours. The rest of the time is spent in the hotel “, Thiem summed up about his day to day. Facing the competition, the Austrian will also be slightly affected by the ravages of COVID-19, since his coach, Nico Massú, He will not be there to tuck him in the stands after testing positive.