ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 10, 2023

Dominic Thiem

Press Conference

D. THIEM/R. Gasquet

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I guess you're very happy with the match today against Richard?

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, it was a very good match. I played everything what was my plan before the match. There were some important moments, the most important I guess in the second game of the first set which was, I don't know, 15 minutes or so, that after six or seven missed breakpoints I finally made it.

That also gave me a lot of confidence. Was the first match since a very long time which I was starting up, not down, probably even the first match of the year where I was not starting with a break down or even but where I was starting going ahead, which felt very good.

Then I played it through until the end and was good.

Q. How does it feel to get -- I mean, it's your first ATP Masters 1000 win for a while. I mean, how important is this for the confidence you still are trying to get there?

DOMINIC THIEM: Well, it was not the victory itself but more the way I played, which makes me think positive. There were signs of or some good signs already last week in Estoril. Now I improved even more.

The shots are getting way better. I have the feeling that I can go full power for many, many shots again with the wrist. There is no restriction anymore. Now the goal is to put everything together, because there is way more to tennis, way more things required to play good matches than to just be able to hit full. That's the goal right now.

Q. From last week to this week, it was 6-1, 6-4 with a Frenchman today also, but things have changed for you and now it's your first tournament without Nicolas. How have been the last days about this new situation, the emotions?

DOMINIC THIEM: The emotions are the thoughts were only positive, because everything I want to keep in mind with Nico was or is the incredible four years we had, the incredible journey we had. Actually, only after I finished I realized what great success we had, which is unbelievable. So that's everything what stays in my mind.

But, yeah, now it's time for a new chapter for him and for me, as well. I tried to make it as good as possible.

Q. When you and over the last year when you have been having difficult matches and losing to players and they've said to you, Don't worry, it will happen, keep trying, keep trying, how difficult has that been for you to be patient like that?

DOMINIC THIEM: The first tournaments back was pretty easy, because the expectations were low. Then slowly I also started winning again towards the second half of the last season.

But what was really tough was the beginning of this year, because I was finishing 22 with good things, back-to-back semifinals, a very good tournament in Vienna, and I was motivated. I was ready to make the next steps in the new season. Then I had a terrible start.

But still, there all the time in practice and also in some matches there were some good signs, some positive signs, and I tried to think about that, tried to look at those positive moments. Now I have the feeling that things are slowly coming together.

Q. You were considered one of the most powerful players in the world. Do you think you have lost, apart from confidence, which can happen, also some power? Or you feel that you are strong as always? Also, did you sometimes woke up in the middle of the night saying, Oh, my God, I'm not perhaps able to come back?

DOMINIC THIEM: No, I was sleeping well all the time (smiling). The power was not there last year even when I started to win matches and playing better. In the inner season the power was not there yet.

Also maybe not in the beginning of the year, but now, which makes me very happy, the last month, last weeks, it's coming back, especially in practice. I have the feeling that the shots are there, the power is there like before, but I was using it wrong. I was not using it in the right way, but there is full trust again in the wrist, full trust again in the forehand.

Some positive signs happened already in Estoril, and today I had the feeling that I was doing from time to time good damage with both forehand and backhand.

Q. Can you explain the choice of your new coach? Is it a try or is it...

DOMINIC THIEM: Yeah, with Benny, we were always like a little bit in contact. We knew each other.

Now obviously there was not a lot of time, you know, because anyway, I have no time to lose. I needed a coach right away, and so we decided to start the relationship and to give it a try.