ROLAND GARROS

September 30, 2020

Dominic Thiem

Press Conference

D. THIEM/J. Sock

6-1, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you feeling, how your legs are holding up after the US Open? Some players have had some trouble, especially on the women's side. How do you see the tournament going longer and deeper?

DOMINIC THIEM: I feel pretty good, to be honest. I mean, not perfectly perfect. I guess that's normal. I think the main thing is that I fight 100% like I did today. I mean, it paid off. I was saving three set points to avoid a fourth set. That's very important in the early rounds, to save energy, to play as less sets as possible. That's good.

Generally I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still a little bit on the happy wave of New York, I would say. Of course, at one point I'm going to get super tired. I guess all the tension and focus on Roland Garros, it's hiding still the tiredness and everything. I hope I can push it as far as I can.

Q. You've done quite well in tiebreakers at the majors all year long. What do you think it is in your game that makes you do so well in those?

DOMINIC THIEM: Today I was little bit lucky, I have to say. Jack was missing his one forehand by little. I almost lost that one.

But I checked it out a little bit with Novak actually. I think he's amazing in tiebreaks. He just tries to avoid easy mistakes in the tiebreak. That's what I also try to do, just put everything in what I can, just focus even more than in the normal sets, don't do any stupidity because I guess that's super important in these close tiebreaks.

Q. After reaching two Roland Garros finals, missing out, then winning the US Open, do you think there's a difference between thinking you can win a Grand Slam and knowing that you can win a Grand Slam?

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, there is a huge difference because, like, being so close in front of the finish line, then finally take this one step to cross it, it's really a huge difference. It's amazing to reach finals, but it's also not easy on the other hand, especially after Australia this year. I heard so many people saying, Yeah, anyway you going to win a slam soon, you will win slams in your career.

At the end I didn't make it yet, so that was not easy. Me and also all the other players know how tough it is to get to deep stages of a slam, to give yourself chances to win one. At the end I was concerned after Australia. I'm very happy that this is finally out of my mind.

Q. Did you do anything different this time around in order to make sure you got the rest, knowing you were going to have to play quickly after the US Open?

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, normally if there wouldn't be such an important event coming up, like French Open, definitely first of all I would have celebrated more, I would have taken way longer rest because I need it.

Physically it's okay, but all the emotions, all the mental part was really tough and demanding in New York. But it is what it is.

I'm going to take my time probably after this tournament in Paris, just try not to lose too much tension, start to practice on the clay pretty soon again. Because if you give your body too much of a break, it shuts down 100%. That's what I try to avoid. I think I did it pretty well.

Q. You've had an opportunity now to see a few players since winning the US Open. Who said what to you as far as congratulations? What are some of the messages that have meant the most to you since that night in New York?

DOMINIC THIEM: Well, I mean, almost all the players, they send me really nice messages. When I saw them here, they said really nice words to me. Honestly, it means a lot from every single player.

I also got nice messages from WTA players, which really surprised me. I was very, very happy about it. I had a feeling that everybody was very happy for me. That means a lot to me.

Q. What is your mentality like now? Is your mentality that you are going to do everything that you can to have a long run and get through to the final or do you put all your energy in focusing on the next match?

DOMINIC THIEM: No, I try to put all the focus and all the energy into the next match. I think that I had a pretty tough draw these first two rounds with Cilic and Sock, two champions. Cilic won a Grand Slam, Jack won a Masters 1000 event. Both of them were top 10. They are two great players. I'm happy that I played good matches against them.

Now the same in the third round. Ruud or Paul, they are way too good both to think already deeper in the tournament. Well, all the focus is tomorrow to have a good day off, to get the energy back, to have a good little practice, and then all energy and all the mentality into round three.