Dominic Thiem believes he’s on the right track again despite losing in the first round of the 2023 French Open. Thiem made a quit exit at Roland Garros after losing to Argentina’s Pedro Cachin in five sets, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, on Monday, May 29. In a press conference following the match, Thiem reflected on his recent performance and his outlook for future competitions.
Thiem’s Recent Performance
Six weeks prior to the French Open, Thiem had been struggling on the court. He lost 6(3)-7, 2-6 to Hamad Medjedovic in the semifinal of the Mauthausen Challenger in Austria and to Corentin Moutet in the second round of the Bordeaux Challenger, 6-7, 1-6. When asked what changed during that time, Thiem said, “Yeah, I was, well, changing perspectives again and then changing my attitude again towards the game from, like, well thinking about or thinking of giving 100 percent, but not really doing it again. That’s what changed.” Despite his recent losses, Thiem is optimistic about his progress, stating, “The last six weeks were really good. But, yeah, obviously it’s not enough yet to play well, to play well in a tournament like that. But, yeah, again, I feel that I’m on the right track again. Today I just failed to reward myself. Yeah, it’s just I have to continue.”
Thiem’s Match Against Cachin
In his match against Pedro Cachin, Thiem managed to come back from two sets down but ultimately failed to secure the win. Discussing his performance, Thiem said, “I didn’t start well at all. How should I say, I was very tight. What I was expecting I had very, very good practice sets, but most of the times in the first real match it’s not that easy, and that’s what happened.” He acknowledged his efforts in fighting back and improving his play, but also recognized his inability to make the “last step” and reward himself with a chance to play in the second round.
Thiem Remembers 2019 French Open
In 2019, Dominic Thiem had his best Grand Slam appearance to date, beating Novak Djokovic in a hectic semifinal which was played on two different days because of weather delays. After defeating Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5, Thiem faced Rafael Nadal in the final, where the Spaniard emerged victorious in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Thiem stated that he experienced “tennis heaven and hell” within a matter of few days during that 2019 French Open. Reflecting on his career thus far, Thiem compared the ups and downs of the last few years to “heaven and hell” as well, due to injuries and results below his standards. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful for the future, stating, “It was a really, really great experience like in the previous years, and now also it’s a very good challenge what I’m facing right now.”
