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NITTO ATP FINALS

November 17, 2017

Dominic Thiem

London, England, United Kingdom

D. GOFFIN/D. Thiem.

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is your knee okay?
DOMINIC THIEM: I just slipped on the knee. It was just bloody, but nothing bad.

Q. Yesterday Alexander when he lost said it was down to his mental performance as opposed to is physical performance. Would it be the same scenario for you, do you think?
DOMINIC THIEM: Well, I had a very, very good start obviously. Again, some very bad mistakes. I let him back into the game. Somehow after the 3-Love, I lost it until the end.

Q. I think since the US Open it's been quite a tough run for you. You've not won too many matches. You played 27 tournaments this year. Is it something you'll look at next year in terms of your schedule?
DOMINIC THIEM: No, it doesn't have to do anything with the amount of tournaments. I mean, of course US Open was very painful. Maybe would be easier if I would have won it and go out with more confidence out of this tournament than after this defeat against del Potro. But, well, now it's already long time since that happened. I don't really have it on my mind.

But, yeah, after US Open was not very good. I have to admit it. Today was like the last month, I guess.

Q. David is a friend of yours. Is that part of the reason you find it difficult to find your best against him or the style of his play that causes you problems?
DOMINIC THIEM: No, I mean, I don't have any problems. I think everybody knows when you're on court, you forget about the friendship, you just want to win. Of course, I don't really like his game style. But today I was just too bad, and that's it. I mean, he was playing a solid match, but I was doing way too many errors, too many bad things. That's why I lost.

Q. Do you think sometimes you have a mental problem? Especially since the US Open, if you start to get depressed or negative attitude, is that the biggest problem? I was also told when you practice with the Chinese young kid who won the US Open juniors, you are the most intense practice. You work two hours stopping three times during the practice. Are you asking too much to yourself?
DOMINIC THIEM: I think before US Open and at the US Open I lost three very close matches with match points. Of course, I mean, I think nobody forgets it. I think it's maybe still on my mind. Was a tough period to lose all these important matches, these tight matches.

But still, I mean, today it was not really close. I was not in a close situation. I was just playing bad. So today has nothing to do with any mental problem. It was just a bad game. It was too easy, the score, to be getting tight or nervous or something.

Q. This is your second appearance here. Even though you lost today, do you think your making progress as these big events, it's a good omen for the future?
DOMINIC THIEM: Again, please. Sorry.

Q. Do you think you're making progress at the big events, improving for the future?
DOMINIC THIEM: Has nothing to do with the tournaments. I think I'm used to play big events. The thing is that at the big events, there are big players, strong players. If you play bad against them, you will lose easy. That's the only thing which is tough about it. The bigger the events or the stages get, the better the players are. You have to play well. You have to compete well. That's what I didn't do today.

Q. Despite the end of the season, you've had a strong year. Big names are coming back next season. How do you think people like Andy and Novak will make your life harder to stay in the top 5 spot?
DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, everybody of these big names when they come back, they make everybody's life hard, of course. But I think it's good for the sport that they come back.

We will see how they do. It's tough to make a comeback like Roger and Rafa this year did. So we'll see. But for sure it's tougher to keep a high ranking when everybody is back.

Q. You have won titles on every kind of surface. Which is your favorite? Here is okay for the topspin?
DOMINIC THIEM: It's not easy, the surface, for a player who plays a lot of topspin. But, well, have you to get used to all the conditions. Still there are surfaces and balls I like more than here.

Q. Do you think it might be easier when people like Andy and Novak come back because the spotlight will be on them again, you can play without pressure?
DOMINIC THIEM: For me the pressure is all the time the same. I mean, it's same pain and also same nice way to lose against Novak or Andy than to lose against anybody else or to win against them or win against anybody else.

For us personally I think it doesn't matter if they come back. I think in general it just gets tougher to win big titles and to stay up high in the ranking because they are so good players.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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