The belief is still there – Dominic Thiem promises to bounce back stronger

The last couple of seasons hasn’t been easy for Dominic Thiem. The Austrian was ranked number five in the ATP rankings in 2021 but the severe wrist injury ruled him out of action. The 2020 US Open champion then had to spend nine months on the sidelines before making his much-awaited return.

Since then, it has been a bumpy road for him as achieving the same level has been difficult. His form has also eluded him but he is not losing hope and wants to make a solid comeback. The 29-year-old lost in the opening round of the Australian Open 2023 against Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

“The belief is still there. Even if it’s only there in a small way, it’s there,” Thiem said in a recent interview with the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung. “And I’m sure it will get bigger again. And if it were gone, then I wouldn’t be sitting here anymore, then I would stop and live a different life. But the faith is definitely there.”

Thiem is currently 96th in the ATP rankings and he will look to climb up the charts in the upcoming tournaments.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic won his 22nd Grand Slam title after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Australian Open 2023 in straight sets, to equal the tally of Rafael Nadal. In 2022, Roger Federer called it time on his glorious career with 20 Grand Slam titles. Thiem feels whosoever will finish with the most Majors, will be rightly crowned as the GOAT.

“In my opinion, Grand Slam titles should be the defining criteria when determining the best of all time, they are the four most important tournaments in tennis,” Dominic Thiem said.

“Everything else is fine, but it’s not the same. The Slams are what counts, so the GOAT will probably be the one with the most Grand Slams.”