ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2022

Dominic Thiem

Press Conference

H. DELLIEN/D. Thiem

6-3, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Bad luck, obviously not the result you wanted today, but what do you take away from today's match?

DOMINIC THIEM: Exactly, it was not a good match at all, but it is what it is. I knew that it's going to take time, that the level is extremely high from all the players competing here and I'm not there yet. I was really working hard to get there but the time was just not enough.

I have to accept it and even though it was, yeah, it was really painful defeat now, week after week, it's still nothing unexpected happened, everything else, if I would have won many matches or whatever, would have been a big surprise. So it's painful, I'm very disappointed, but it goes on.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions in English, please.

Q. Do you still have some pain or nothing at all and so it's only more mental problem, is it psychological, you miss a lot of forehands or you have a physical problem still that doesn't make you happy?

DOMINIC THIEM: No, zero physical issues. I also have no mental problems with the forehand, I'm not scared or anything, but the problem is that, as I said, in practice was really decent already the forehand but then match situation is something different, Grand Slam especially, I'm obviously a little bit more tight, more nervous and obviously the whole body gets more tight, gets more nervous and right now that's toxic to my forehand because I'm still missing the fine feeling there, I'm missing it a lot. Yeah, if that's the case, many, many mistakes are happening and it was again the same today.

Q. I wanted to ask you what you're missing most in your game? Is it your power or sometimes do you feel as the match goes on or as the points go on it is patience that you lack, that you're missing, that you had when you were, you know, two, three years ago?

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, I'm not missing one specific thing, but many things, actually. Obviously there's not enough power yet in my shots and it's not only the forehand, I have way too low percentage of first serve, the first serve is not hurting enough.

The backhand is okay, but as well it's not long enough, it's not fast enough.

Then sometimes I do really stupid decisions during the rally, dropshots or down the line at the wrong moment and then also match situations I'm not playing well or when I was able to put the opponent under pressure, like 30-All or deuce, then, for example, there was one game today where I did four or five forehand return mistakes in a row where I'm thinking, what the heck is happening, you know, because I really just want to put it in and it's not working.

But, yeah, it is what it is and it's going to take time until it's fine again.

Q. Can you talk about and explain how you work on this sort of issue that you're having? What do you do in training or what are you doing in training that's different than what you're used to, to try to fix the problem?

DOMINIC THIEM: I'm not doing anything different in training. I think that's the key. Because with certain way of training I got very successful, so it's time to do the same again to get back on track. I mean it's no secret that I started to practice really well and really consistent, I don't know, six or seven weeks ago and it's just not enough time, especially for the injury I had.

The key is just to be patient, continue being patient, work on the stuff which is not working and then it will come back, but it will take time. I cannot say now I'm disappointed, I'll work hard for a week and then next tournament I'm playing super well. I have to be patient and I think it's going to take a few more months until I can really say, okay, now I'm ready to beat those top guys again.

Q. Curious how different you feel in practice compared to matches, are those issues some of them just match-specific or is that feeling of in practice. I was also curious on your opinion on the Wimbledon points and if you'll be playing?

DOMINIC THIEM: That's what I wanted to say to him before, that it's much better in practice but it's not perfect yet either there and it's also not the greatest feeling to go in a Grand Slam match or in a match in an ATP tournament knowing in the back of the head that things are not perfect in practice even, you know, because, well, everybody says you'll always leave 10, 20 percent in the locker room because of nerves and then being tight and everything, you know.

And I'm even not playing perfect or the way I want in practice yet, so cannot accept or cannot expect that it happens in the game. I need to work, the first step going to be that it's working day-to-day perfectly in practice and then try to make the transition into the game.

About Wimbledon, I think it's a tough decision for everybody, for some players can be very already is probably very painful, Berrettini or Novak or Fucsovics, for example, but we always have to keep in mind I think the big picture that Wimbledon or all our tennis world, it's just really no problem at all, the real problem is there in Ukraine and let's hope that there is peace very soon again.

Q. Curious with your current sort of confidence that you're not having in the matches how much do you think just winning a match would help or just stopping this streak and do you think that, have you considered going back down to Challengers to try to get some more matches and just some wins under your belt to sort of unlock what seems to be locked up for you on the match courts?

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, definitely thinking to go back to Challenger level now for maybe one or two tournaments. Of course a match win would help a lot, but if I'm honest to myself, I was, in all the matches I played, still pretty far away from a win.

So I'm not really thinking about it, I just have to improve and then hopefully it goes from itself and then the first match victory is coming and then things are also working much better match-specific.

Q. I wondered if the issue or part of the issue is staying loose in match situations. Have you consulted or considered consulting a mental coach or sports psychologist at any stage?

DOMINIC THIEM: No, I didn't consider it, but I mean I don't know, I never had one, you know, but I was never also in the situation I'm in now.

So, I mean, well, I'm open for everything, but the most important thing is to give myself time, hundred percent, and I mean also when, two or three years ago, when I was playing super well I was not loose at all in the matches, but just was used to the match situation, the forehand or the shots were working perfectly fine in practice and then also had a lot of confidence because I was winning a lot and then it was way easier.

Now, yeah, I just need to try to find the confidence and the shots back also in tight situations like matches.