Dominic Thiem is the No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, with 16 ATP Tour titles and three Grand Slam final appearances to his name.

ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 26-year-old.

1) He Is Closing The Gap On The Big Three
Since the start of the 2019 ATP Tour season, Thiem has won seven of his 10 matches against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic (2-2), Rafael Nadal (2-1) and Roger Federer (3-0). The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest threats to the trio’s dominance of the sport, reaching one Grand Slam final in each of the past three ATP Tour seasons.

Thiem has inflicted several high-profile losses on the Big Three during this period. The Austrian snapped Djokovic’s 26-match unbeaten streak at Grand Slam events in last year’s Roland Garros semi-finals and also ended Nadal’s bid to equal Federer’s record Grand Slam trophy haul at the Australian Open in January. Thiem also defeated Federer in last year’s Indian Wells championship match.

On 2 March, Thiem overtook Federer to reach a career-high No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. He is the first man outside the Big Three to occupy a Top 3 position since Alexander Zverev on 5 May last year.

2) He Is One Of The Strongest Players On The ATP Tour
Thiem’s rise to No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings has required years of preparation and hard work. The 16-time tour-level titlist, who posted a 15-3 record in deciding sets last year, has had to push himself to the limit off the court during training blocks.

“It’s amazing how he practises. All the time, 100 per cent, he’s very focussed all the time,” said Thiem’s coach, Nicolas Massu. “He tries to improve every day, so for me as a coach it’s amazing because he’s a guy who wants to win all the time.”

In preparation for his run to the 2020 Australian Open final, Thiem was joined by fitness coaches Dr. Michael Reinprecht and Duglas Cordero during his off-season training block. The pair constantly monitored Thiem’s heart rate to see how long it took him to recover from certain drills, and used a laser beam to measure the exact speed of some sprints.

“Dominic is an amazing player. He is working very, very hard. It is amazing the high intensity he puts in for every exercise,” said Cordero. “The preseason is very important because if you get a good preseason, it’s possible to, [when you] combine it with good tennis, [to] keep the performance all year.”

3) 2019 Was The Best Year Of His Career
In 2019, Thiem raised his game to new heights. The Austrian captured five titles last year, including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open. In his first tournament alongside new coach Nicolas Massu, Thiem outlasted Milos Raonic and Federer to take the title in Indian Wells.

The 6’1” right-hander also won each of the nine matches he contested in Austria, capturing the first two home titles of his career at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna and the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. Thiem also lifted ATP 500 trophies in Barcelona and Beijing.

Alongside his five title runs, Thiem also advanced to his second straight Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal) and reached his first championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals in London (l. to Tsitsipas).

4) Football Is In His DNA
The 26-year-old loves football and is a keen supporter of English team, Chelsea FC. In 2015, Thiem visited the team’s home stadium, Stamford Bridge and, one year later, received 10 pairs of personalised shoes from the club at the 2016 Generali Open.

Thiem’s passion for the sport goes beyond Chelsea FC. He also enjoys playing football himself and founded his own club, 1. TFC Matzendorf. Ahead of the 2018 ATP Tour season, the Austrian travelled to Slovenia alongside countryman Dennis Novak to play for his club.

5) He Cares About The Environment
Thiem is conscious of the need to protect our environment. After stumbling across the work of 4Ocean, a business which has removed 8,691,089 pounds of plastic from the ocean since 2017, Thiem purchased one of their bracelets and began wearing it at tennis events.

4Ocean spotted Thiem wearing the bracelet at the Mutua Madrid Open and quickly got in contact. Thiem regularly shares the hashtag #4Ocean on social media and would like to join the organisation to personally remove plastic from the ocean one day.

“I really hope that I can attend one clean up and help,” said Thiem. “That would be a dream for me.”

 

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Soon I need my second arm for the @4ocean bracelets ? ? ? ? ? #heretocreate #4ocean

A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on Jul 19, 2018 at 9:09am PDT

While players have turned to social media over the past month to share funny photos and volley challenges, Corentin Moutet stunned his peers and fans by showcasing a hidden talent for rapping through original tracks on Instagram.

The #NextGenATP Frenchman had already established himself as one of the most talented musicians on Tour as a piano player. Two years ago, Moutet was inspired to take up rapping and began to write lyrics every day. Not only has it been a fun way for him to spend his down time at ATP Tour events, but it’s become a valuable mental outlet as he remains at home in France.

“I take music as therapy because it’s nice to write and get rid of everything you’re feeling inside, both good and bad. I like the connection with people on social media through music as well,” Moutet told ATPTour.com. “Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can speak to a lot of people through music.

“The days can be long on site at tournaments, so I wanted to do something else. I’m usually writing, singing or rapping most of the time now. I try to write every day about my feelings or anything else that comes to mind.”

 

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1 er freestyle pour @1minute2rap sur une instru de @mani_deiz Toujours kiffé regarder, à moi de tenter ma chance ! ?? Identifiez @1minute2rap en masse?? #1minute2rapavril2020#1minute2rap

A post shared by Corentin Moutet (@corentin.moutet) on Apr 14, 2020 at 10:11am PDT

Moutet challenged himself to write a song every day during the first week of lockdown, but wasn’t as pleased with the results because it didn’t allow him enough time to work on mixing the tracks. He’s now working at a less hectic pace and satisfied with the results, particularly with ‘Frère’, a song about his brother.

But writing songs is one thing. Sharing them with the world is another. Moutet had been sitting on a wealth of original rap music after two years of work, but admitted that he was hesitant to release it.

“It was a mix of emotions. The first song I put on Instagram [Écorché vif] is one of the more personal songs I have about myself, so it was tough to put on social media,” Moutet said. “But on the other side, I wanted to share how I feel and show that your social status or where you come from doesn’t matter. We all feel the same way.”

 

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Premier freestyle Inspiré par @melaniediamsofficiel Hésitez pas à partager si vous kiffez ?? #rapfrancais#rap#freestyle#1minute2rap

A post shared by Corentin Moutet (@corentin.moutet) on Mar 16, 2020 at 10:04am PDT

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise for Moutet was how fellow players reacted to his music. Although he hadn’t been hiding his musical talent, it hadn’t come up in conversation during tournaments. The 21-year-old also wasn’t sure if the French Tennis Federation or older colleagues would understand what he hoped to accomplish.

“The tough thing about the tennis world is that I’m friends with some players, but it’s normally all about tennis, even with the media or my coach,” Moutet said. “I didn’t know how everyone around tennis would take it because music is something different. I wasn’t sure if they would smile or criticise or tell me to stick to tennis. I’m really happy though because I received a lot of nice messages from around the world, including from players and some coaches.”

The overwhelmingly positive response to Moutet’s songs inspired him to create a separate Instagram account and YouTube channel devoted to his music. As he continues to release older songs and work on new ones, he’s confident that his best is still to come.

“My best songs are other ones that I did in the studio and have on my phone, but haven’t put them on Instagram yet,” Moutet said, smiling. “I’ll keep sharing my music even when the Tour resumes. I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing it on my tennis account or a different one, but it’s something I’ll continue with and I hope to do good things there as well.”

After lifting the Mutua Madrid Open title on hard courts in 2008 and clay in 2015, Andy Murray completed a successful transition to PlayStation with a 7-6(5) victory against David Goffin to capture the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro title on Thursday.

Both men entered the contest with unbeaten records, but former World No. 1 Murray fired a cross-court forehand winner to end an epic contest after 33 minutes. The 46-time tour-level titlist rose to his feet and held his hands to his head in celebration as Goffin covered his eyes.

“We raised a lot of money for some good causes,” said Murray. “It was nice, personally, to spend a little bit of time chatting to some of the players. [It is] something that I have missed during this period and something that I have been used to for the past 12, 14 years of my life… It was something I have never done before. Thanks to everyone who put the event on.”

After the final, Murray announced that his €150,000 prize money will be split equally between the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) and the Tennis Player Relief Fund. A further €50,000 will go towards reducing the social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All class from the 2020 champ ?@MutuaMadridOpen | @andy_murray pic.twitter.com/aDNzLAdFix

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 30, 2020

“He had a few more options, but my serve was probably the biggest difference,” said Murray. “I came up with some big serves.”

Goffin was attempting to win his second tie-break of the day, after booking his place in the championship match with a 7-6(6) semi-final triumph against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Later in the day, Tsitsipas overcame Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias 6-3 to win the Charity Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro.

“It was fun. At the end, it was a great final,” said Goffin. “Andy was playing so good, so he deserved [to win] the final.”

Let’s take a look back at some of the best bits from @andy_murray’s dream run at the @MutuaMadridOpen Virtual Pro ??#PlayAtHome? pic.twitter.com/PwhJAOctcb

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 30, 2020

Murray also revealed that Mutua Madrid Open Tournament Director Feliciano Lopez was putting pressure on him during the week, sending text messages referring to him as the tournament favourite.

“I just want to thank you for playing and proving my prediction that you were going to be the winner,” said Lopez.

During the post-match trophy ceremony, Murray made a commitment to Lopez for the 2021 edition of the tournament, where he plans to collect his trophy and deliver a speech in Spanish.

”I am going to practise [my Spanish]. There is no excuse for me during this period where I have got a lot of time at home and not much else happening in my life to not try and learn a little bit more Spanish, so that I am confident enough to speak publicly in the language,” said Murray.

“Next year, when I come to the tournament and I get presented with the trophy, I will do my speech in Spanish. That’s the commitment I am going to make.”

Your favourite players are all at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to pass the time. From Marin Cilic’s celebration, to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s basketball crossover, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.

Marin Cilic celebrated his second anniversary with his wife, Kristina Milkovic.

 

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Celebrating year 2 with our new plus 1. ?‍?‍? Happy Anniversary @kristina_milkovic ❤️

A post shared by Marin Čilić (@marincilic) on Apr 28, 2020 at 6:12am PDT

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga appeared to be pitching himself to the NBA by showing off his hoop skills.

 

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?? @nba @atptour #harden #tsongateam #tennisathome

A post shared by Jo-Wilfried TSONGA (@tsongaofficiel) on Apr 28, 2020 at 6:11am PDT

Mike Bryan introduced his first child, a baby boy named Jake.

 

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This little fella is the best birthday present I could’ve asked for! Welcome to the ? baby Jake! We got lots of love for ya! @nadiambryan ????

A post shared by Mike Bryan (@mikecbryan) on Apr 29, 2020 at 5:03pm PDT

Nick Kyrgios enjoyed some quality bonding time with his dog.

 

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Mood

A post shared by NK (@k1ngkyrg1os) on Apr 28, 2020 at 9:04am PDT

Roberto Bautista Agut took a more relaxed approach to Andy Murray’s 100-volley challenge.

 

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Estos días Ana me está ayudando a mejorar mi volea ? Cómo seguís entrenando vosotros? Si me etiquetáis y mencionáis los hashtags #TennisAtHome y #TeamLacoste compartiré los vídeos más divertidos en mis historias ?⁣ ⁣ Working on my volleys during the lock down with Ana ? how are you keeping your tennis up? Tag me and use the hashtags #tennisathome and #TeamLacoste! I I will share the best ones on my stories!⁣ ⁣ #Lacoste #Tennis #Tenis #RobertoBautistaAgut #TennisOnTheSofa

A post shared by Roberto Bautista Agut (@robertobautistaagut) on Apr 27, 2020 at 8:48am PDT

Mansour Bahrami added a new twist to the volley challenge craze by hitting with a shoe.

 

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#iftheshoefits – STAY AT HOME! ? _ THANK YOU ALL for continuing to #stayhome #dontbeaspreader ? _ & thank you ALL for your lovely Birthday messages ystrdy. ??? _ Here’s some shoe tennis as a small thank you – same hits as my age ??? _ @lacoste @headtennis_official @atpchampionstour _ #stayhomestaysafe #wecandoit #humanityunited #tennisathome #shoetennis #keepyoureyeontheball #health #kindness #peace ?

A post shared by Mansour Bahrami Official (@mansourbahramiofficial) on Apr 26, 2020 at 11:47pm PDT

Jamie Murray offered his fans a shoulder workout to do from the comfort of home.

 

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#stayhome #homeworkout #shoulderworkout #shouldermobility #homegym #homeworkouts #tennisathome #tennis #workoutroutine #workoutmotivation #workoutroutines #fitness #staypositive #stayactive #stayhealthy #activelifestyle #StayInWorkOut @imgtennis @dunloptennisofficial @playbravesports @youtube

A post shared by Jamie Murray (@jamie__murray) on Apr 28, 2020 at 3:07pm PDT

Nicolas Mahut completed Rohan Bopanna’s 30-ball challenge with his son.

 

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Challenge accepted my friend!! ?@rohanbopanna0403 #30ballchallenge 1bh volley 1fh volley. I nominate @pierrehuguesherbert @mikecbryan @bryanbros

A post shared by Nicolas Mahut (@nicomahut) on Apr 27, 2020 at 1:58pm PDT

Santiago Gonzalez hilariously showed just how much he’s missing competing in front of fans.

 

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Quien no extraña la sensación de competir y los gritos de los fans ???☺️ #tikok #atptennis #stayhome #tennis #adidas #wilson #tennisathome

A post shared by Santiago Gonzalez (@gonzalezsanty) on Apr 28, 2020 at 3:40pm PDT

In December, four tournaments were recognised for excellence in standards set across the global ATP Challenger Tour and for their steadfast commitment to growing the game. These integral events in Puerto Vallarta, Heilbronn, Braunschweig and Szczecin have become player and fan favourites for their dedication to providing a world-class experience both on and off the court.

This week would have been the third edition of the Puerto Vallarta Open, which earned Tournament of the Year honours in back-to-back seasons, following a dazzling debut in 2018. Despite being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains one of the more vibrant destinations on the circuit. One year ago, Mexico’s crown jewel staged a celebration to remember.

In front of daily sold-out crowds on Estadio Puerto Vallarta, the tournament boasted the energy and charisma of a Mexican fiesta. With world-class hospitality and captivating off-court activities in the local region, as well as perfect conditions between the lines, the players’ appreciation for the tournament is at the forefront.

Led by the Puerto Vallarta Office of Tourism, the commitment and hard work of the tournament team, the support of the municipality, local authorities, sponsors, the press and the public produced a stunning week of professional tennis.

Those competing on the Challenger circuit are battling every week for critical FedEx ATP Rankings points and prize money, but it can’t always be about the forehands and backhands. Mental and emotional breaks are a crucial element to success between the lines. In Puerto Vallarta, they have gone above and beyond to ‘make it unforgettable’, as their motto says.

Between the lines, the attention to detail in Puerto Vallarta is exceptional. The pre-match walk-ons are akin to the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2, with fog machines, flashing lights and rock music greeting the night session competitors. The players are treated like rock stars and the fans are given an up-close view of the action in an intimate setting. A full-service VIP section nestles up to the sideline, with Mexican fare and Siete Leguas tequila flowing from first ball to last.

Away from Parque Parota, signage is plastered throughout the city and radio and TV spots abound throughout the month leading up to the tournament, encouraging both locals and tourists to visit the event. In addition, MegaCable TV broadcasts every evening for both night session matches, with three commentators calling the action.

For players criss-crossing the globe and spending countless hours on the court and in the gym, it’s essential to find the right balance of work and play. In Puerto Vallarta, they understand the rigours of life on tour and are redefining the culture of a tournament. An oasis on the Challenger circuit, the tournament is located steps from the Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags), just off the Pacific Ocean. Nestled between the blue waters of the Pacific and the towering Sierra Madre mountains, the natural surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for a tournament.

Once a mining town in the 19th century called ‘Las Peñas’, Puerto Vallarta emerged when miners from the Sierra Madre needed a port in the bay to load and unload various products. The city soon became an integral hub for agricultural, fishing and forestry activities. Now, with a diverse multi-cultural identity, it also boasts a growing art scene and an exotic habitat with hundreds of species of birds and wildife, in addition to its thriving sports culture.

The tournament has fast become the standard on the ATP Challenger Tour. It has already established itself as an integral piece of the tennis landscape not only in Puerto Vallarta, but Mexico as a whole.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet are leading a list of French tennis stars in the fight against COVID-19, with the support of the French Tennis Federation, by donating personal items to a charity auction aimed at raising funds for Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP).

With more than 100 items available, tennis fans can bid on experiences and a range of tennis memorabilia ahead of the auction deadline at 19:00 (CEST) on Sunday, 3 May. Gasquet, Guy Forget and Henri Leconte are among a number of stars offering one-hour tennis sessions at Roland Garros or the French National Training Centre, while many players have donated important racquets and clothing from their careers.

Tsonga has donated a racquet used during title runs at the 2017 Open 13 Provence in Marseille and the 2017 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. Pierre-Hugues Herbert’s polo shirt and racquet from his 2019 Nitto ATP Finals triumph are also available, as well as Ugo Humbert’s complete outfit and racquet from his maiden ATP Tour final victory at the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland.

Assistance Publique- Hôpitaux de Paris brings together 39 hospitals, located in Paris, the outer suburbs and in the provinces. For more information on the Tennis Solidaire auction, click here.

The Millennium Estoril Open launched at the Clube de Ténis do Estoril in 2015. It didn’t take long for the event to support its community.

In 2018, the ATP 250 was awarded an ATP ACES For Charity grant to support Academia Dos Champs, which teaches tennis as a tool to instil strong, positive guidelines in underprivileged children and young adults.

At that year’s event, ATP Executive Vice President, Europe, David Massey presented Academia Dos Champs Chairman Antonio Champalimaud and Estoril Tournament Director João Zilhão with a cheque for the grant. Zilhão was highly complimentary of the charity programme. 

“It’s great,” Zilhão said. “Obviously tennis is one of the most impactful sports in the world in terms of visibility year-round on five continents, 11 months. It’s great that tennis can give back to the community as well and help those projects that can also benefit tennis.”

The tournament director also had high praise for Academia Dos Champs and its efforts to make a difference in the community.

“We’ve been helping them for a long time now. They do very valuable work around the country to promote tennis in very complicated neighborhoods,” Zilhão said. “They take teachers, balls, all the logistics to give tennis lessons to kids who would normally not have access to tennis. So it’s a great project. They help a lot. They have many, many kids having tennis lessons for free under their supervision and their coaches and so it’s something we really like to be part of.”

Academia Dos Champs promotes the benefits of sport and how it transcends social classes, backgrounds and life circumstances while rewarding effort and dedication. With over 260 students across 10 centres, the Academia Dos Champs has held more than 10,000 tennis lessons since 2009 and more than half of its overall student population benefitted from the more than 1,100 tennis lessons funded by the ATP ACES For Charity grant.

“Along with our Partners – such as the Millennium Estoril Open, we want to generate global awareness regarding these important themes, so that our project can make a real difference in as many lives as possible,” Champalimaud said. “We are certain that tennis will have a positive impact in countless aspects of our students’ future.”

One of Alexander Zverev’s dreams was to win an ATP Tour title on home soil in Germany. That makes the BMW Open by FWU a tournament he will never forget.

In 2016, at the age of 19, Zverev made the Halle final, but was unable to break through in front of his home fans.

“It was a positive week,” said Zverev. “I played really good tennis in all my matches… Unfortunately, it had to end like this. But it happens. This is tennis. You can’t change it now.”

Instead of dwelling on his near miss, Zverev focussed on the opportunities ahead. At 2017 Munich, Zverev would not let such an opportunity slip. He’d long enjoyed success at the ATP 250, where he won his first match just after turning 18.

In the quarter-finals, Zverev needed to battle through a third-set tie-break against countryman Jan-Lennard Struff. Zverev did not look back from there, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 7-5 in the semi-finals and Guido Pella 6-4, 6-3 in the final to lift the trophy.

“I lost the final in Halle last year [to Florian Mayer], which was very painful. I really wanted to win a tournament in Germany, which I’ve done now and I’m very happy about it,” Zverev said. “[It is] my first title on clay as well. It’s a great feeling right now.”

Zverev won his second consecutive Munich title in 2018, defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match. Kohlschreiber holds the record for most Munich titles with three.

“I am obviously very happy with how I played,” said Zverev. “[I am] very happy to get back-to-back titles here [in Munich]. It is a very special event for me so I am very happy that I could defend my title.”

By retaining the crown, Zverev became the third man to win consecutive BMW Open by FWU trophies. Only Argentines Guillermo Perez-Roldan and Franco Squillari had previously won successive Munich titles.

Did You Know?
Zverev is 13-4 in Munich, and it is the only German city where he has won an ATP Tour title.