MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 6, 2021

Dominic Thiem

Press Conference

D. THIEM/A. De Minaur

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. If I can ask you a question not to do with the match. I'm doing some research on a story about players, what they had to sacrifice when they were young and they were looking at the future as a player, et cetera. What did you avoid doing? What did you sacrifice in your young days to be able to get to where you are now? Do you miss some of that stuff that you might have done as a regular teenager at those times?

DOMINIC THIEM: Well, I think everybody who is a professional athlete has to sacrifice a lot. For me especially the years from 13 to 17, 18, they were pretty tough. I mean, there was only school, practice, homework, sleep, and that's like all year long. There was nothing else at all. That was pretty tough years.

Also when you're younger, when you're teenager, you don't think so much about it. That's why I also didn't really miss it. Well, I don't know how everything would be if I would have done it differently.

Q. You don't miss having not experienced that now, parties and going out, being with friends all the time, et cetera? Do you regret it?

DOMINIC THIEM: I don't regret it, but I miss it, yes. I do it now sometimes. Now I have a little bit more freedom than back then. Of course, it's unbelievable nice to have a great, I don't know, sunny afternoon with friends sitting, talking about everything. That's basically what didn't happen between 13 and 17.

Of course, I miss it. But I try to do it now as often as possible.

Q. About today's match, the way Alex played. Watching it, he looked very solid. Maybe you didn't play your best. It was your fourth win in four matches against him.

DOMINIC THIEM: I think it was pretty good match from both of us, I would say. For me it was perfect because obviously he's first of all a top player, and second of all he also likes to play longer rallies. There were some good, long rallies. I was many, many times out of breath. It was perfect for me to get back a little bit the match rhythm, to run down a lot of balls.

Also the score was super close, no? I mean, if I don't make that backhand passing shot at set point down, it's a different story.

It was a match that had everything. As it's my first tournament, as it's my way back, a buildup for the next week, it was great for me.