Thiem Set For 'Big Dream' In London

Two years on from gritting his teeth through compulsory military training in Austria, Dominic Thiem is now among the elite eight, who are set to compete on the illuminated blue court, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“In 2014, it was difficult for me to have a decent off-season, but last year I watched it and thought the [Barclays ATP World Tour] Finals was so difficult to amass so many [Emirates ATP Rankings] points, to compile so many good results,” Thiem told ATPWorldTour.com. “So to have qualified is a big dream.”

Watch: The Story Of Thiem

The youngest player in the field at The O2 in London is also the first Austrian to compete at the year-end championships since former World No. 1 Thomas Muster, who competed in 1990, 1995-1997.

“I had a very good off season in 2015, then my body got a lot better,” said 23-year-old Thiem. “I think that was very important, and I kept improving my game on the faster surfaces. The first half of the year was really great.” 

Victories over Rafael Nadal on the Buenos Aires clay and Roger Federer on Stuttgart’s grass this year, in addition to reaching the Roland Garros semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) and lifting four ATP World Tour trophies, developed his confidence immeasurably. “For sure beating Nadal was a turning point, overcoming a leading figure in all sports, a special athlete. It was so tough to beat him.”

Under the guidance of Gunter Bresnik, who once coached Boris Becker, Thiem has won 57 matches in 2016 (tied third-best on the ATP World Tour) and later this week he will compete in Group John McEnroe at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, alongside Novak Djokovic (0-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head), Milos Raonic (0-1) and fellow debutant Gael Monfils (1-0).

“I’m really lucky to have come to Gunter, aged nine, when he had a lot of experience, and had coached a lot of players,” said Thiem. “It was not really difficult for him to see my weaknesses and for him to try to help me improve my chances every day. I am lucky to be one of his class players and have him put in his experience.

“I want to develop my game and compete for the really big titles. I still have to prove myself in the big tournaments, I am still far off from it. But not too far. The tough times come when you exit tournaments early, or if you don’t practise well. The key is to be patient.”

INFOSYS ATP SCORES & STATS – 2015 & 2016 SEASON COMPARISON

Thiem played 15 more matches this season (79) than in 2015 (64), when he finished at a year-end No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Infosys ATP Scores & Stats indicates that World No. 9 Thiem has made major improvements in return categories – particularly on break points converted and return games won.