Similar to Murray in the sense that, just as he hit the pinnacle of his powers his body failed. Obviously completely different play styles but both relied heavily on certain aspects of their body; Thiem the power he generated from his wrist, and Murray the defensive abilities that caused his hip issues.
It seems to me that Thiem has changed his technique. No longer using massive wrist snaps on forehands and backhands. He's technique was always risky and it was amazing that he lasted that long. Tennis is such a brutal sport on your body and when you depend on one of your weakest joints to generate power, you're gonna pay a big price. I don't know if we will ever see the player that had so much promise again.
@@Batwam0 many players have had wrist and elbow surgeries, but if one calculates the length of time of playing with such intensity and technique, even at a peak age, it can be career ending (a la DelPo).
@@3r1kz No dope, it's you who are quite unintelligent when it comes to knowing anything about tennis techniques. Thiem's wrist surgeries, which can be career-ending, are a result of repetitive damage because of his wrist torque.Many experts have commented on the risks of his forehand as well. Dumbazzz!
@@Batwam0 coincedence i'd say. Hardhitting aggressive players like Federer, Isner and Karlovic actually had super long career with relatively few injuries. But they hit flatter and are serve cannons more. It's possible the high spin high racket velocity forehand and backhand style of players like Thiem and Nadal is just more prone to injuries.
It’s complicated because he reached the highest level, beat all of the legends multiple times, and achieved the ultimate dream of winning a grand slam title. When he won the US Open there was no crowd to embrace him due to Covid. That’s probably pretty deflating. Immediately after reaching his peak, he had a major injury. Hard to blame him for losing the fire, as he’s accomplished a lot and he’s financially set. While Rafa is my favorite player, Thiem is probably my favorite person of all the players.
Hopefully he can make a decent comeback, he was definitely supposed to be one of the top players for awhile. I wish the best for Thiem and his future 🙏🙏🙏
I love Thiem, he was one of my favorite players for years, and one of the few who challenged the big 3, specially on clay. I think what happened to him it's a combination of physical injury and mental struggle. You know, competitive tennis at such high level is defined by small margins, and it's also a very mental sport. Everyone knows how to hit the ball, what's difficult is to be stronger than your rival in the pressure moments, and that comes down to confidence and mental strength. This example shows just how difficult is to reach the top of the sport. Let's hope that Thiem can recover his former competitiveness, for sure we can't say he's not trying. Tennis owes him that!
I watched in live in the final of the Lyon tournament vs Gilles Simon way back in 2019. I have to say watching him hit live, in his prime, is one of the most animalistic playstyles I've seen. Only Rafa tops him in terms of sheer brutality and intensity. His shots were so heavy, loaded with massive topspin, and when he let loose on his backhands, good grief and have mercy!
It's sad because at one point he was considered the "Prince of clay", but taking into account the mental component Rafa's fighting spirit against the odds dealing with injuries for most of his career since he was 19 is what makes him a legend, Rafa has made comeback after comeback and Thiem needs to get that passion back into his game along with his physical health. We are all rooting for the guy and i hope it does happen for him and he doesn't become Delpo 2.0.
@@Ciclopea2 Novak is leading, Naral is scared and only plays against Novak on clay, that's why Rafael fakes injuries during hardcourt season or grass if Novak in on the way.
And his style of play on clay means more time punishing the joints and muscles simply because clay is slower than hard-courts, so naturally the length of rallies and matches are longer!
I am not pro tennis.. but the way Thiem hit the ball with full heavy top spin, i believe make the injury… i really hope he can come back to the level he played before and compete with the rest
We often dismiss the mental when that is what drives the physical. His strong wrist action to generate power was what got him to his dream of being on top. After the injury he realized he would have to adjust that and begin again, the difference being that he had been to the mountain top, lived his dream, but now understood the struggle to do what he had ALREADY done. We've all experienced this: We dream of accomplishing something and then do it. It takes a very single minded person to keep striving for an experience we've had before and ask ourselves what NEW mountains are left to climb?
Yes I agree, he has always seemed like a lovely person. When they ask lots of tennis players questions, they asked who:was was the nicest player, all said either him or Roger.
I discovered him during his 2019 Roland Garros final against Nadal and i immediately loved his game he was a mix of power speed accuracy everything was perfect and i was sure he was going to win this one but After losing the third set he Lost the last one 6-1 I thought at the Time it was only a motivational problem ( like tsitsipas ) even he played five set against Nadal 6 month ago in the us open semi final but it turned out to be a physical problem too Hope he Can get in the top 20 or even top 10 again but its going to be difficult
👉8:08 _"Where are those big heavy forehands"_ - Those big shots are probably what damaged his wrist, therefore it is perfectly understandable that he hits less hard.
people's idea of a sucessful career has been spoiled by the big three's success, winning gone major and peeking top 3 in the world is nothing to be ashamed of. out of 8 billion people he was the 3rd best that is an amazing acheiavemnt and he won one of the most highly coveted trophies in tennis. If everyone thinks that a successful career is winning 20 grand slams and spending years at the number one ranking we will be coniausly disappointed. only a select few players in my opinion will be able to dominate the majors and rankings in the next years (alcaraz, rune, sinner) and I doubt they will have the longevity of rafa roger and novak.
Thiem's biggest problem has always been his court positioning. His default rally position is 10-15 feet behind the baseline. It is extremely difficult to play the game and win consistently from that far back. You can do it, but you have to put in a ton of road work to stay in points and you have to take massive cuts at the ball. He was able to do it for a couple of years, but that playing style is going to wear on you in time.
I think his top game took a lot out of him. Reckon it was the kind of level that pushes your body's limit, but unsustainable in the long term. Probably in his mind just isn't sure of the motivation to continue pushing your body across that limit given he's already won a slam
I think it is a combination of both mental and physical. Mental in that where do you go when you have been to the mountain top of all you hoped to achieve? Physical in that time and overuse takes a toll on any body (part).
I remember watching him break through in Umag, Croatia to win his second title, back when he was sporting bleached blonde hair, circa 2015. He seemed to be a clay court specialist who expanded his game to fit the hard courts as well. Hope he overcomes the mental block, because that's where all struggles begin and end.
Purely mental at this point. He can train physically harder yet he needs to focus on each point not an entire match or tournament. Just play hard, and naturally, then let each outcome evolve. Watching him play is a mental juggling act. As most top athletes realize, top form comes and goes. What must be constant is a stable mental game.
Tennis is ultra competetive and therefore it is difficult to get through. In Soccer you have top leagues in every country. In Germany alone there are 1000 players who get large salaries. Players like Thomas Müller make 15 million per year. To many he is unknown compared to Messi, CR7, Mpappe, and the like. Even the number one player in tennis does not earn 15 Million € per year. The ranking in tennis changes in waves. However, having earned 30 Million $ in price money, Dominic had (and still has) a great career others would dream of. He could give back to his parents what they invested in him. There are so many stories where families just lose out. Dominic will still be able to net 100 Thousand Dollars price money in the next years. And I bet he has many options in Austria after his active career that other players don't have because they never reached a top level. With Dominic all is well. The drama is elsewhere with other unknown players who dream and try and never make it. In Tennis only very few make much money. For one who makes it, there are more than 1000 who never will.
Thiem is such an intense hitting and wonderful player to watch as he brings passion and beauty of a great strike force. Apart from the injury, I believe he suffered a burnout and could not summon sufficient motivation to attain his previous levels, tennis involves very intense and consistent hard work. He still loves the game and would find the fire within to hit the road to glory again.
to date, thiem has the best statistics against the big three (federer, nadal , djoker) in his prime, thiem was simply a MONSTER!!! loved how he took EVERY shot with 120% power!!! don't know anyone who didn't like thiem or found him unsympathetic. for me one of the coolest and best of all time!!! we will miss you dominic!!!
In recent times Thiem, Murray and Del Potro have been robbed of achievements due to injury. Going further back Henri Leconte had persistent back problems that diminished his career. Lendl also suffered with back issues at the latter stages of his playing time.
Thiem was a brutal brutal hitter who uses a surprisingly light racket and makes all that power from racket speed, but he was not someone who made easy sustainable power like Nadal or Federer. If he grew tired he could be overpowered easily like Novak showed on one occasion. That was just going to cause injury in the long run. But he suffered mentally when the Covid hit and everyone was quarantined. Since then he got that wrist injury and hasn't been the same. Also despite Thiem's power Rafa actually hits even harder on clay.
0:06 "Tennis, unlike mosts other sports, is decided by the tiniest of margins." Whaaaa?? MOST sports are decided by tiny margins. Ever hear of racing? swimming? fencing? shooting? gymnastics?...
I think one thing that might also help explain his situation is to look at how long it took for him to make his mark. How long it took for him to build his game. Thiem is the kind of player that needs matches, from what I can tell. He needs more matches and more wins to build his confidence and timing. Consider how he was when he was at his best. He, as someone would describe, was redlining. His game went up and up and up to an insane level where he was firing insane shots that were not just really powerful, but he was landing them for improbable winners. He literally built that up. That's not a game that he can just come back to. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes him at least 2 or 3 years to get back to that level. I also think that perhaps he needs to prepare himself mentally for that, if he hasn't already. Now, if we were to compare him to the Big 3 and why their comebacks were faster - well. Perhaps start with what they'd already achieved. And then look at their games compared to his. Their standard base level game is very good. I'm not sure if I'm articulating that correctly. But let's put it this way. They don't often need anywhere near their best. They're very used to not relying on that to win. Look at the number of Masters titles they've also racked up. I suppose part of the argument I ended up making is to make sure that you have a very strong versatile base that allows you to win without having to rely on your best or anywhere near it. Better yet, be the best at winning on bad days.
Speaking of standard base levels and what the big 3 achieve even on off days has a lot to do with their mental fortitude. The unwavering belief that they are better and digging in to find that extra gear when needed. After a point in the rankings (say top 10) the base levels are comparable to an extent, but what really distinguishes them is the belief and mental fortitude. Hoping to see Thiem back there on the top with some good wins
@@SeePatPlay I'm not sure what that means. The belief that they are better. Do you mean that they're better than the rest of the field? I don't think that that's necessarily the case. I don't think it even comes down to any case of whether they believe they're better or worse than their fellow competitor. More than likely, I think it's the willingness to keep competing. Now, if we were to pick a belief that perhaps contributes to their success, perhaps it's the belief that they're better at fighting and staying in the fight. That makes more sense. They have the experience to back that up. Their bad days are often better than many players' best days. They can witness that themselves. That's a belief that's more justifiable. There's also a danger to having such a belief that anyone should be aware of. Aside from the obvious downsides of arrogance and inflated pride, when you put at the front of your mind that you are better, you don't have much of an incentive to work. To improve. Which is what can get you left behind. Now, that's not to say you should have the belief of being worse than them. Or that you can't acknowledge that at the moment, you are better. You can think about how you compare to others at the moment. It's just silly to think that they need such a belief as a necessary part of their success. Plus, the amount of respect they give to the rest of the field. What exactly are they respecting if they believe that they're better?
@@JiraiyaSama86 I think it means that you have the versatility and court intelligence to get the better off your opponent if things don't work out playing your a-game. That's why Djokovic is probably the best player of all times, he reads his opponents shots and weaknesses like no other and changes his way of playing accordingly, seemingly even through a single rally. He has a plan B, C and D... Thiem, Federer and many others don't have that. Not to that extend. The might have a plan B, but that's it. It's a bit like in chess, you can't just be aggressive only, you need to know how to defend and confuse your opponent too, if you know what I mean.
@@blackypolster9361 Correction. Federer does have that. But if we're talking about whether to change tactics, it's more about if there's a more effective alternative. Sometimes, there isn't. It depends on who the player is.
For me is mental.. he is the best of his next gen. Also his injury was very bad, but I think it’s not easy to manage these situation. He played a really nice match against Tsitsipas in Madrid, he has a lot of time in front of him, I am convinced he is going to be in top 10 next year.
He won a Grand Slam, was top 3 and won important matches against the Big 3. If you ask me, it was a great career. Amazing players like Nalbandian, Davidenko, now Tsitsipas have not been able to win a GS.
The way I see it, Thiem's playing style (as corroborated by his rivals) was all about power. I remember that Rome match when he beat a fully capable Nadal on clay, he hit each and every ball with immense power. I thought to myself then that he cannot keep doing that. It seems it took its toll and now he may be fit but he either is reluctant to hit with the same power or his doctors may have advised that he should tone it down in order to keep playing. The situation reminds me of Delpo indeed, he also had the strongest forehand on tour and his wrists couldn't cope... Anyways, Domi is a very nice guy and a great athlete, I hope we can see him have some stability and perhaps a few good runs in tournaments. 🙏`
He once stated that he would do all he could to cement Roger at the top of the GS count but, losing 2 FOs to Nadal and an AO to Novak where he was 2-1 sets up meant that never occured. The sad injury and lack of motivation means that can now NEVER happen. Carlos, Sinner, Rune etc will now rule the roost
Set his goals too low... once he won the grand slam....achieved his goal...is hard to motivate. Must love the game---all of it. The challenges...the struggles...the victories and defeats... Might be time for new challenges and direction in life.. A great champion
Think you've missed an opportunity to focus in on Thiem's forehand. The wrist injury may have been repaired, but the speed/power/revolutions on his fh is just nowhere near his 2019 level.
The last match I watched him play w on clay vs Tsitsipas . He almost beat him. I think that was a very good sign he can compete w the top ten. I think he can come back to his best and is still young enough. Most players go through peaks and valleys. The big 3 have even had their moments.
I know that he dropped the grams of his racquet, almost 100 grams to preserve his wrist...you can imagine how difficult can be for a pro like him using a totally different racquet. What a shame...but I think the principal problem is his hungry as you said on the video, Dominic sincerely admitted it.
The hunger is a justification for no longer being able to play like before due to his injury. The injury outweighs all things. "Losing the hunger" is just a convenient excuse to mask how his body just isn't capable enough anymore.
His backhand is still good, but his forehand was one of the best in the world before the injury, and now just is a shadow of itself. Sad to see such a flashy player go out like this. But I still have hope.
Love Thiem. Just always had an affinity for the guy, and I'm not even a rabid tennis fan. Something about his passion and power. I wish him sound mental acuity and for the tennis gods to bless him with a fresh drive to reach his full potential again.
One of my favorite players because he broke the stranglehold of the Big Three, and had a beautiful one handed backhand. He can still retire with pride and say he reached top three and won the ATP masters and a USO
it was the moment that he announce to the world that he doesnt want to be part of the idea that support lower ranked players who in need of support in their career. that was his downfall. he clearly said “none of them is going to starve” same goes to you thiem. you’re not going to hit the top either with this kind of humility. 😊 #justsaying
The parallels drawn with Del Potro sum things up, like Thiem, he too had it all but after a serious wrist injury never achieved the same levels. Love to see him back to his best, but suspect its potentially as much between the ears than just his body.
Them still has a career left...injured wrist took him out for almost 2 years. He is slowly improving and regaining some confidence. Trouble is the game is constantly changing as new young players like Rune and Alcatraz arrived. Confidence is everything in tennis and also hard to win with one handed backhand now.
Still I feel more gutted for A. Zverev. He served For the Match against Thiem, went to 5th set breaker & lost it... Doesn't seem to have enough weapons to ever get that close again. That was a beyond odd match decided by who played worse less, but still
Thiem is such a great person off the court. So kind hearted. I would love to be his friend in real life, he just seems so genuine. Plus who can forget Schwartzman's word to describe Thiem was "Friend". Such a cute moment. 😊 I miss Delpo! 😭 One of my favorite matches to watch is when Del Potro plays fellow Argentinian Diego Schwartzman. Their friendship and huge height difference make it fun.
I hate these videos because this adds pressure to someone who already adds pressure to him. I feel like hard workers should always be rooted no matter what and not critique people in the arena.
If Dominic Thiem decides to "call it a day" in 2024, I will respect that. He's one of my favourite players and it's just unfortunate that he was playing in the same era when the Big 3 were still winning tournaments. Domenic tried catching up to them, then his body began to break down. At the very least he has a Grand Slam when most of the supposed "Next Gen" still don't. Domenic is like Juan Martin Del Potro - quiet, powerful, scandal free, a true gentleman, immensely gifted but his body just couldn't keep up.
He was always such a mentality beast, which is why I never could have imagined that mentality or lack thereof would be the one thing to halt his comeback. But it serves as a good reality check to us all, that even the biggest psychological fortress you build yourself can snap and break just as easily as your wrist can. From an Austrians perspective, I obviously wish him all the best. I believe he can pull it around and he seems on his best way to doing so. But I can't sit here and pretend like he'll ever be as on top of the world again as he was. We'll consider him "one of the world's best tennis players" again, no doubt. But from him to truly get back to his 2019-2020 level.. That would require multiple miracles.
It is only human that most of us wanted to see more of prime Thiem. His game was simply amazing. He would be fighting for titles and number 1 with Djokovic and Alcaraz now. Imagine a clash between prime Thiem and present Alcaraz. Such a shame - but he seems ok with his fortune, thats all that matters.
I always used to like him because he seemed like a serious contender to the big three but also had excellent sportsmanship. But I remember that US Open final. Both him and Zverev played with so much fear - their game was pretty weak. Plus the big three either weren’t there or got disqualified. So I think he felt like an imposter after that. It meant so much to him but probably didn’t feel totally earned. The empty stadium totally underscored this. I think Thiem has a very complex mental world and it weighs too heavily on him. I wish him all the best. Whether in tennis or life.
I think it’s important to remember the depth of field in tennis. Losing first round grand slam means you are still 128 in the world out of maybe 50,000 people trying to make it who are all awesome. If a first round challenger loser came to your local tennis club he would wipe the floor with everyone and their jaws would be on the ground, so please be nice to Thiem and what he can do with a wrist that is probably wrecked and always hurting.
It’s definitely physical. He blew up his right wrist. He can’t swing the way he used to without fear. He over worked his wrist and needs a totally new technique
@@commondirtbagz7130 his forehand is different he used to muscle the ball where ever he wants. He’s following the angle of the ball to not damage his wrist. It’s clear as day to me
@@adamantpulse8118 clear as day to you because you’re the one making it up. There’s been a general consensus since the clay season started that his forehand looks better. This just proves you don’t know anything about tennis.
@@commondirtbagz7130 I’d like you to site a few of these “consensus” you speak of. He is terrified to take cuts on the ball. Everyone can see it. His legs are rock solid, his serve is weak. He’s mentally ruined. He’s not redirecting the ball like he used to. He’s giving up. I doubt he’ll be back at his top level
Its sad to say that major injuries could really wreck a player. The tendon will never be what it was and the eay he played caused a fresh tendon to deteriorate to injury. Imagine a damaged tendon. You sinply cant play the same way you did. Without his hard hitting and feeling restricted, its super hard to climb the ranks like he did before. Its sad, and i really hope he gets back close to where he was. 😢
There was a rumor in tennis world that he was actually suspended for failed doping test and that it was not injury what kept him off court. Remember that players do not have to come out with those news.
So, injury, but… I like Thiem, because I like to watch people hit, and he’s a great hitter, but he is pretty one-dimensional. It says something when everybody uses the same word to describe him (“power…powerful…”). A big deal was always made of his conditioning, with lots of Rocky IV montage imagery being evoked. But if you’re as reliant on the physical as Thiem is, then anything that compromises your physicality is going to be a problem. A parallel that people don’t seem to draw (which is odd, seeing as they’re both Austrian) is with Thomas Muster, who also had a serious injury set-back. Muster’s recovery was preternatural, because, like Thiem, he was a clay-court hitter with an extravagant one-hander on the backhand, who relied on strength (which I’m not knocking - those players bring a lot to the tour). But the consensus was that Muster beat the odds; it shouldn’t be surprising that Thiem couldn’t do the same. He had some great form, but his GS came when the second most ‘Next Gen’ player possible was put in front of him (the first most being Tsitsipas). Thiem looked exciting, but he never really graduated from being, like Andy Roddick, a junior champ on steroids (not literally…at least I don’t think so). Harsh, maybe…
Im so sad about this… his play was great to watch and he seemed like a very decent bloke. I backed him to have a great career and take over from the big 3, but sadly it wont happen 😢
At 4:20 you see how some players like Andy Murray have best wishes for somebody recovery , supporting someone in that hard moments are crucial ( like Murray injury when he never get back as old Murray , unfortunately ) .
First of all, I don’t think it is uncommon for players, or anyone in their respective life, to take their foot off the gas after achieving what they set out to achieve. Djokovic had a slump after winning his maiden RG. He, serena, Sampras and Agassi all didn’t win a second grand slam for a couple of years after winning their maiden slam. It is very common. Thiem’s struggles are pretty much down to his horrific injury and has nothing to do with him losing motivation after winning the slam. The initial slump prior the injury was definitely due to a loss of motivation but he has surely reset himself by now. Wrist injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from as we have already seen how a wrist injury hampered the career of Juan Martin Del Potro. And for someone like Thiem whose trademark shot making relies upon his ferocious power and pin-point accuracy. He doesn’t hit the ball with the same margin of error of someone like Nadal or Djokovic. That is tricky when you lose confidence. You start to not hit as close to the line as you normally would, or as powerful as you could… and then opponents will find it easier to deal with them and that in turn gives you more self doubt. it’s a vicious circle. But as Murray said, it takes time. I still think he has one slam left in him.
He lose his incredible forehand after injury. His wrist can't support the same power as before. So now with avarages shots, he have average results. Simple
Defo mental. That hunger of winning more is something that can’t be created easily. It makes Novak, Nadal, Federer’s multiple slams even after injury all the more remarkable. Dom is a mere mortal compared to them.
This is the first time I've found a video or article saying that it's potentially more mental than physical. And YES, that's exactly what happened in my opinion. The wrist injury always seemed like some kind of "reason" or "excuse" to his poor performance years later. I think it was the US Open that ruined it all... the glory could've gotten to him.
In my opinion he was already lost in the US Open final. He was just defending from far behind the baseline. Zverev's nerves lost him the match, not necessarily Thiem.
Prime Thiem was one of the most explosive players we’ve ever seen . Explosiveness diminishes with age and scar tissue . The greats like Federer , adapt their game and even change their rackets .
Thiems style is unfortunately not sustainable. he needs way more energy to overpower the best players. thats what is so impressive about the best players. they can produce peak power when its necessary but in the rest of their play they simply play smart tennis. thiem never learned that. and now he is completely exhausted.
Devil is in the details.. the wrist is a key element for creating speed. On the top level loosing some mobility even if it is les then 5%, you go from being exceptional to being still good but never that good as before.
Probably he was playing too powerful. That's why he was injured in the first place. One of the characteristics of great players is that they know how to play inside of their limits, and rarely got injured.
it was really nice what Andy Murray said to Thiem
I remember this.
Andy Murray is a class act.
I agree. Murray knows what that is all about.
Similar to Murray in the sense that, just as he hit the pinnacle of his powers his body failed. Obviously completely different play styles but both relied heavily on certain aspects of their body; Thiem the power he generated from his wrist, and Murray the defensive abilities that caused his hip issues.
Very noble, kind and encouraging for Thiem.
Even if he never makes it back to his former self, he's still had a great career.
One of the most entertaining players when he was in his prime, so sad to see him now
It seems to me that Thiem has changed his technique. No longer using massive wrist snaps on forehands and backhands. He's technique was always risky and it was amazing that he lasted that long. Tennis is such a brutal sport on your body and when you depend on one of your weakest joints to generate power, you're gonna pay a big price. I don't know if we will ever see the player that had so much promise again.
@@Batwam0 del Porto had way better technique then thiem. Thiem hit the ball so violent and so crazy. I’m surprised he lasted this long to be honesy
@@Batwam0 many players have had wrist and elbow surgeries, but if one calculates the length of time of playing with such intensity and technique, even at a peak age, it can be career ending (a la DelPo).
It looks like you don't really know what you are talking about so I leave you too it haha
Thiem having a bad technique is just lol
@@3r1kz No dope, it's you who are quite unintelligent when it comes to knowing anything about tennis techniques. Thiem's wrist surgeries, which can be career-ending, are a result of repetitive damage because of his wrist torque.Many experts have commented on the risks of his forehand as well. Dumbazzz!
@@Batwam0 coincedence i'd say. Hardhitting aggressive players like Federer, Isner and Karlovic actually had super long career with relatively few injuries. But they hit flatter and are serve cannons more. It's possible the high spin high racket velocity forehand and backhand style of players like Thiem and Nadal is just more prone to injuries.
It’s complicated because he reached the highest level, beat all of the legends multiple times, and achieved the ultimate dream of winning a grand slam title. When he won the US Open there was no crowd to embrace him due to Covid. That’s probably pretty deflating. Immediately after reaching his peak, he had a major injury. Hard to blame him for losing the fire, as he’s accomplished a lot and he’s financially set. While Rafa is my favorite player, Thiem is probably my favorite person of all the players.
Hopefully he can make a decent comeback, he was definitely supposed to be one of the top players for awhile. I wish the best for Thiem and his future 🙏🙏🙏
I love Thiem, he was one of my favorite players for years, and one of the few who challenged the big 3, specially on clay. I think what happened to him it's a combination of physical injury and mental struggle. You know, competitive tennis at such high level is defined by small margins, and it's also a very mental sport. Everyone knows how to hit the ball, what's difficult is to be stronger than your rival in the pressure moments, and that comes down to confidence and mental strength. This example shows just how difficult is to reach the top of the sport. Let's hope that Thiem can recover his former competitiveness, for sure we can't say he's not trying. Tennis owes him that!
So much respect for this guy. Great player Dominique Thiem.
I watched in live in the final of the Lyon tournament vs Gilles Simon way back in 2019. I have to say watching him hit live, in his prime, is one of the most animalistic playstyles I've seen. Only Rafa tops him in terms of sheer brutality and intensity. His shots were so heavy, loaded with massive topspin, and when he let loose on his backhands, good grief and have mercy!
It's sad because at one point he was considered the "Prince of clay", but taking into account the mental component Rafa's fighting spirit against the odds dealing with injuries for most of his career since he was 19 is what makes him a legend, Rafa has made comeback after comeback and Thiem needs to get that passion back into his game along with his physical health. We are all rooting for the guy and i hope it does happen for him and he doesn't become Delpo 2.0.
He definitely would have took over rafa reign
Rafa has injuries whenever he needs to face Novak on hardcourt or grass.
@@Smileater their H2H says otherwise.
@@Ciclopea2 Novak is leading, Naral is scared and only plays against Novak on clay, that's why Rafael fakes injuries during hardcourt season or grass if Novak in on the way.
And his style of play on clay means more time punishing the joints and muscles simply because clay is slower than hard-courts, so naturally the length of rallies and matches are longer!
I am not pro tennis.. but the way Thiem hit the ball with full heavy top spin, i believe make the injury… i really hope he can come back to the level he played before and compete with the rest
We often dismiss the mental when that is what drives the physical. His strong wrist action to generate power was what got him to his dream of being on top. After the injury he realized he would have to adjust that and begin again, the difference being that he had been to the mountain top, lived his dream, but now understood the struggle to do what he had ALREADY done. We've all experienced this: We dream of accomplishing something and then do it. It takes a very single minded person to keep striving for an experience we've had before and ask ourselves what NEW mountains are left to climb?
He is fully motivated again, has decided to work with a mental trainer - so I believe in him. He is going to get back in Top 20 soon - hopefully.
Just announced retirement
One of the nicer guys. 😢
Yes I agree, he has always seemed like a lovely person. When they ask lots of tennis players questions, they asked who:was was the nicest player, all said either him or Roger.
Some players worst opponents are injuries, this could happen to Alcaraz as well he is way to much injury prone for his young age.
I discovered him during his 2019 Roland Garros final against Nadal and i immediately loved his game he was a mix of power speed accuracy everything was perfect and i was sure he was going to win this one but After losing the third set he Lost the last one 6-1
I thought at the Time it was only a motivational problem ( like tsitsipas ) even he played five set against Nadal 6 month ago in the us open semi final but it turned out to be a physical problem too
Hope he Can get in the top 20 or even top 10 again but its going to be difficult
👉8:08 _"Where are those big heavy forehands"_ - Those big shots are probably what damaged his wrist, therefore it is perfectly understandable that he hits less hard.
His story makes you appreciate Federer, Nadal and Djokovic who lasted on tour for 2 decades. It's not easy.
people's idea of a sucessful career has been spoiled by the big three's success, winning gone major and peeking top 3 in the world is nothing to be ashamed of. out of 8 billion people he was the 3rd best that is an amazing acheiavemnt and he won one of the most highly coveted trophies in tennis. If everyone thinks that a successful career is winning 20 grand slams and spending years at the number one ranking we will be coniausly disappointed. only a select few players in my opinion will be able to dominate the majors and rankings in the next years (alcaraz, rune, sinner) and I doubt they will have the longevity of rafa roger and novak.
Agree
Thiem's biggest problem has always been his court positioning. His default rally position is 10-15 feet behind the baseline. It is extremely difficult to play the game and win consistently from that far back. You can do it, but you have to put in a ton of road work to stay in points and you have to take massive cuts at the ball. He was able to do it for a couple of years, but that playing style is going to wear on you in time.
wow im expert i barely noticed this, honestly it makes sense
I think his top game took a lot out of him. Reckon it was the kind of level that pushes your body's limit, but unsustainable in the long term. Probably in his mind just isn't sure of the motivation to continue pushing your body across that limit given he's already won a slam
Also the thought of possibly reinvigorating his injuries by going extra on his shots must be playing in his mind
I think it is a combination of both mental and physical. Mental in that where do you go when you have been to the mountain top of all you hoped to achieve? Physical in that time and overuse takes a toll on any body (part).
I remember watching him break through in Umag, Croatia to win his second title, back when he was sporting bleached blonde hair, circa 2015. He seemed to be a clay court specialist who expanded his game to fit the hard courts as well. Hope he overcomes the mental block, because that's where all struggles begin and end.
Purely mental at this point. He can train physically harder yet he needs to focus on each point not an entire match or tournament. Just play hard, and naturally, then let each outcome evolve. Watching him play is a mental juggling act. As most top athletes realize, top form comes and goes. What must be constant is a stable mental game.
Tennis is ultra competetive and therefore it is difficult to get through. In Soccer you have top leagues in every country. In Germany alone there are 1000 players who get large salaries. Players like Thomas Müller make 15 million per year. To many he is unknown compared to Messi, CR7, Mpappe, and the like. Even the number one player in tennis does not earn 15 Million € per year. The ranking in tennis changes in waves. However, having earned 30 Million $ in price money, Dominic had (and still has) a great career others would dream of. He could give back to his parents what they invested in him. There are so many stories where families just lose out. Dominic will still be able to net 100 Thousand Dollars price money in the next years. And I bet he has many options in Austria after his active career that other players don't have because they never reached a top level. With Dominic all is well. The drama is elsewhere with other unknown players who dream and try and never make it. In Tennis only very few make much money. For one who makes it, there are more than 1000 who never will.
Thiem is such an intense hitting and wonderful player to watch as he brings passion and beauty of a great strike force. Apart from the injury, I believe he suffered a burnout and could not summon sufficient motivation to attain his previous levels, tennis involves very intense and consistent hard work. He still loves the game and would find the fire within to hit the road to glory again.
to date, thiem has the best statistics against the big three (federer, nadal , djoker)
in his prime, thiem was simply a MONSTER!!!
loved how he took EVERY shot with 120% power!!!
don't know anyone who didn't like thiem or found him unsympathetic. for me one of the coolest and best of all time!!!
we will miss you dominic!!!
In recent times Thiem, Murray and Del Potro have been robbed of achievements due to injury.
Going further back Henri Leconte had persistent back problems that diminished his career. Lendl also suffered with back issues at the latter stages of his playing time.
Thiem was a brutal brutal hitter who uses a surprisingly light racket and makes all that power from racket speed, but he was not someone who made easy sustainable power like Nadal or Federer. If he grew tired he could be overpowered easily like Novak showed on one occasion. That was just going to cause injury in the long run. But he suffered mentally when the Covid hit and everyone was quarantined. Since then he got that wrist injury and hasn't been the same.
Also despite Thiem's power Rafa actually hits even harder on clay.
So what’s your conclusion😊
0:06 "Tennis, unlike mosts other sports, is decided by the tiniest of margins." Whaaaa?? MOST sports are decided by tiny margins. Ever hear of racing? swimming? fencing? shooting? gymnastics?...
Darts
I think one thing that might also help explain his situation is to look at how long it took for him to make his mark. How long it took for him to build his game. Thiem is the kind of player that needs matches, from what I can tell. He needs more matches and more wins to build his confidence and timing. Consider how he was when he was at his best. He, as someone would describe, was redlining. His game went up and up and up to an insane level where he was firing insane shots that were not just really powerful, but he was landing them for improbable winners. He literally built that up. That's not a game that he can just come back to. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes him at least 2 or 3 years to get back to that level.
I also think that perhaps he needs to prepare himself mentally for that, if he hasn't already.
Now, if we were to compare him to the Big 3 and why their comebacks were faster - well. Perhaps start with what they'd already achieved. And then look at their games compared to his. Their standard base level game is very good. I'm not sure if I'm articulating that correctly. But let's put it this way. They don't often need anywhere near their best. They're very used to not relying on that to win. Look at the number of Masters titles they've also racked up.
I suppose part of the argument I ended up making is to make sure that you have a very strong versatile base that allows you to win without having to rely on your best or anywhere near it. Better yet, be the best at winning on bad days.
very well said, i think you're right.
Speaking of standard base levels and what the big 3 achieve even on off days has a lot to do with their mental fortitude. The unwavering belief that they are better and digging in to find that extra gear when needed.
After a point in the rankings (say top 10) the base levels are comparable to an extent, but what really distinguishes them is the belief and mental fortitude.
Hoping to see Thiem back there on the top with some good wins
@@SeePatPlay I'm not sure what that means. The belief that they are better. Do you mean that they're better than the rest of the field? I don't think that that's necessarily the case. I don't think it even comes down to any case of whether they believe they're better or worse than their fellow competitor. More than likely, I think it's the willingness to keep competing.
Now, if we were to pick a belief that perhaps contributes to their success, perhaps it's the belief that they're better at fighting and staying in the fight. That makes more sense. They have the experience to back that up. Their bad days are often better than many players' best days. They can witness that themselves. That's a belief that's more justifiable.
There's also a danger to having such a belief that anyone should be aware of. Aside from the obvious downsides of arrogance and inflated pride, when you put at the front of your mind that you are better, you don't have much of an incentive to work. To improve. Which is what can get you left behind.
Now, that's not to say you should have the belief of being worse than them. Or that you can't acknowledge that at the moment, you are better. You can think about how you compare to others at the moment. It's just silly to think that they need such a belief as a necessary part of their success.
Plus, the amount of respect they give to the rest of the field. What exactly are they respecting if they believe that they're better?
@@JiraiyaSama86 I think it means that you have the versatility and court intelligence to get the better off your opponent if things don't work out playing your a-game. That's why Djokovic is probably the best player of all times, he reads his opponents shots and weaknesses like no other and changes his way of playing accordingly, seemingly even through a single rally. He has a plan B, C and D... Thiem, Federer and many others don't have that. Not to that extend. The might have a plan B, but that's it. It's a bit like in chess, you can't just be aggressive only, you need to know how to defend and confuse your opponent too, if you know what I mean.
@@blackypolster9361 Correction. Federer does have that. But if we're talking about whether to change tactics, it's more about if there's a more effective alternative. Sometimes, there isn't. It depends on who the player is.
For me is mental.. he is the best of his next gen. Also his injury was very bad, but I think it’s not easy to manage these situation.
He played a really nice match against Tsitsipas in Madrid, he has a lot of time in front of him, I am convinced he is going to be in top 10 next year.
He won a Grand Slam, was top 3 and won important matches against the Big 3. If you ask me, it was a great career. Amazing players like Nalbandian, Davidenko, now Tsitsipas have not been able to win a GS.
I never saw this image with him holding his wrist, this is really heartbreaking...
The way I see it, Thiem's playing style (as corroborated by his rivals) was all about power. I remember that Rome match when he beat a fully capable Nadal on clay, he hit each and every ball with immense power. I thought to myself then that he cannot keep doing that. It seems it took its toll and now he may be fit but he either is reluctant to hit with the same power or his doctors may have advised that he should tone it down in order to keep playing. The situation reminds me of Delpo indeed, he also had the strongest forehand on tour and his wrists couldn't cope...
Anyways, Domi is a very nice guy and a great athlete, I hope we can see him have some stability and perhaps a few good runs in tournaments. 🙏`
He once stated that he would do all he could to cement Roger at the top of the GS count but, losing 2 FOs to Nadal and an AO to Novak where he was 2-1 sets up meant that never occured. The sad injury and lack of motivation means that can now NEVER happen. Carlos, Sinner, Rune etc will now rule the roost
Set his goals too low... once he won the grand slam....achieved his goal...is hard to motivate.
Must love the game---all of it. The challenges...the struggles...the victories and defeats...
Might be time for new challenges and direction in life..
A great champion
He's surely one the best tennis players ever.... hopefully he can get his mojo again...
All the best for him in the future.
Loved Andy's words of comfort for Thiem, what a sweetheart
Think you've missed an opportunity to focus in on Thiem's forehand. The wrist injury may have been repaired, but the speed/power/revolutions on his fh is just nowhere near his 2019 level.
The last match I watched him play w on clay vs Tsitsipas . He almost beat him. I think that was a very good sign he can compete w the top ten. I think he can come back to his best and is still young enough. Most players go through peaks and valleys. The big 3 have even had their moments.
He just needs to bring back the blonde highlights and his superpowers will return.
I know that he dropped the grams of his racquet, almost 100 grams to preserve his wrist...you can imagine how difficult can be for a pro like him using a totally different racquet.
What a shame...but I think the principal problem is his hungry as you said on the video, Dominic sincerely admitted it.
The hunger is a justification for no longer being able to play like before due to his injury. The injury outweighs all things. "Losing the hunger" is just a convenient excuse to mask how his body just isn't capable enough anymore.
4:19 i love how andy supported him
His backhand is still good, but his forehand was one of the best in the world before the injury, and now just is a shadow of itself. Sad to see such a flashy player go out like this. But I still have hope.
Theim IS one of my favorites - especially for his exemplary character.
So sad. Thiem was one of the only young tennis players that I liked, really humble guy. Hope he can somehow manage to get back!
Love Thiem. Just always had an affinity for the guy, and I'm not even a rabid tennis fan. Something about his passion and power. I wish him sound mental acuity and for the tennis gods to bless him with a fresh drive to reach his full potential again.
Great video! Didn't know all of this after he fell off the radar.
One of my favorite players because he broke the stranglehold of the Big Three, and had a beautiful one handed backhand. He can still retire with pride and say he reached top three and won the ATP masters and a USO
it was the moment that he announce to the world that he doesnt want to be part of the idea that support lower ranked players who in need of support in their career. that was his downfall. he clearly said “none of them is going to starve”
same goes to you thiem. you’re not going to hit the top either with this kind of humility. 😊 #justsaying
one of my favourite players of his generation! hope he comes back
The parallels drawn with Del Potro sum things up, like Thiem, he too had it all but after a serious wrist injury never achieved the same levels. Love to see him back to his best, but suspect its potentially as much between the ears than just his body.
heartbreaking.. he was my favorite after the big3 before his injury..
Covid-19 messed up a lot of Tennis Players and their rhythm sadly! 2 years stoppage can messed up alot of players momentum
Them still has a career left...injured wrist took him out for almost 2 years. He is slowly improving and regaining some confidence. Trouble is the game is constantly changing as new young players like Rune and Alcatraz arrived. Confidence is everything in tennis and also hard to win with one handed backhand now.
Wrist injuries are career ending in tennis,you are not the same after such injuries same thing happened with del potro, he was never the same again
Still I feel more gutted for A. Zverev. He served For the Match against Thiem, went to 5th set breaker & lost it... Doesn't seem to have enough weapons to ever get that close again. That was a beyond odd match decided by who played worse less, but still
He won a Slam anyway, which legitimately makes him one of the 152 greatest male players in tennis history
Don't get discouraged, keep on fighting. Enjoy the game
Has anyone ever come back from a wrist injury to play better? I reckon not. Its both physical and mental.
Thiem is such a great person off the court. So kind hearted. I would love to be his friend in real life, he just seems so genuine. Plus who can forget Schwartzman's word to describe Thiem was "Friend". Such a cute moment. 😊
I miss Delpo! 😭 One of my favorite matches to watch is when Del Potro plays fellow Argentinian Diego Schwartzman. Their friendship and huge height difference make it fun.
I hate these videos because this adds pressure to someone who already adds pressure to him. I feel like hard workers should always be rooted no matter what and not critique people in the arena.
Thiem.... Plz comeback... Love you from India
He played decent at Wimbledon to be fair. That back hand. I’d love to see him back.
Murray is a true champion, he is still at it and with hope to climb the peak again, once you have been there you know how to return home.
give him a break, hes won a GS which is more than most can say
If Dominic Thiem decides to "call it a day" in 2024, I will respect that. He's one of my favourite players and it's just unfortunate that he was playing in the same era when the Big 3 were still winning tournaments. Domenic tried catching up to them, then his body began to break down. At the very least he has a Grand Slam when most of the supposed "Next Gen" still don't. Domenic is like Juan Martin Del Potro - quiet, powerful, scandal free, a true gentleman, immensely gifted but his body just couldn't keep up.
He was always such a mentality beast, which is why I never could have imagined that mentality or lack thereof would be the one thing to halt his comeback. But it serves as a good reality check to us all, that even the biggest psychological fortress you build yourself can snap and break just as easily as your wrist can.
From an Austrians perspective, I obviously wish him all the best. I believe he can pull it around and he seems on his best way to doing so. But I can't sit here and pretend like he'll ever be as on top of the world again as he was. We'll consider him "one of the world's best tennis players" again, no doubt. But from him to truly get back to his 2019-2020 level.. That would require multiple miracles.
Come on Thiem, you can and WILL BE AT YOUR BEST AGAIN.
It is only human that most of us wanted to see more of prime Thiem. His game was simply amazing. He would be fighting for titles and number 1 with Djokovic and Alcaraz now. Imagine a clash between prime Thiem and present Alcaraz. Such a shame - but he seems ok with his fortune, thats all that matters.
He realized that the suffering for a Grand Slam was not worth it.
I always used to like him because he seemed like a serious contender to the big three but also had excellent sportsmanship. But I remember that US Open final. Both him and Zverev played with so much fear - their game was pretty weak. Plus the big three either weren’t there or got disqualified. So I think he felt like an imposter after that. It meant so much to him but probably didn’t feel totally earned. The empty stadium totally underscored this. I think Thiem has a very complex mental world and it weighs too heavily on him. I wish him all the best. Whether in tennis or life.
I think it’s important to remember the depth of field in tennis. Losing first round grand slam means you are still 128 in the world out of maybe 50,000 people trying to make it who are all awesome. If a first round challenger loser came to your local tennis club he would wipe the floor with everyone and their jaws would be on the ground, so please be nice to Thiem and what he can do with a wrist that is probably wrecked and always hurting.
Serious wrist injury is the worst possible for a tennis player. With almost every other injury you can train a litle bit, but not with this one.
It’s definitely physical. He blew up his right wrist. He can’t swing the way he used to without fear. He over worked his wrist and needs a totally new technique
He needs to transform his game similar to how nadal has late in his career just needs a new coach and new team around him
Cap. His forehand is fine now
@@commondirtbagz7130 his forehand is different he used to muscle the ball where ever he wants. He’s following the angle of the ball to not damage his wrist. It’s clear as day to me
@@adamantpulse8118 clear as day to you because you’re the one making it up. There’s been a general consensus since the clay season started that his forehand looks better. This just proves you don’t know anything about tennis.
@@commondirtbagz7130 I’d like you to site a few of these “consensus” you speak of. He is terrified to take cuts on the ball. Everyone can see it. His legs are rock solid, his serve is weak. He’s mentally ruined. He’s not redirecting the ball like he used to. He’s giving up. I doubt he’ll be back at his top level
I have always liked him since day one. It's sad to hear he will retire only at 30 years of age.
Thiem will come back! I am sure, mark my words. Don't burry him already!
Its sad to say that major injuries could really wreck a player. The tendon will never be what it was and the eay he played caused a fresh tendon to deteriorate to injury. Imagine a damaged tendon. You sinply cant play the same way you did.
Without his hard hitting and feeling restricted, its super hard to climb the ranks like he did before.
Its sad, and i really hope he gets back close to where he was. 😢
There was a rumor in tennis world that he was actually suspended for failed doping test and that it was not injury what kept him off court. Remember that players do not have to come out with those news.
So, injury, but… I like Thiem, because I like to watch people hit, and he’s a great hitter, but he is pretty one-dimensional. It says something when everybody uses the same word to describe him (“power…powerful…”). A big deal was always made of his conditioning, with lots of Rocky IV montage imagery being evoked. But if you’re as reliant on the physical as Thiem is, then anything that compromises your physicality is going to be a problem. A parallel that people don’t seem to draw (which is odd, seeing as they’re both Austrian) is with Thomas Muster, who also had a serious injury set-back. Muster’s recovery was preternatural, because, like Thiem, he was a clay-court hitter with an extravagant one-hander on the backhand, who relied on strength (which I’m not knocking - those players bring a lot to the tour). But the consensus was that Muster beat the odds; it shouldn’t be surprising that Thiem couldn’t do the same. He had some great form, but his GS came when the second most ‘Next Gen’ player possible was put in front of him (the first most being Tsitsipas). Thiem looked exciting, but he never really graduated from being, like Andy Roddick, a junior champ on steroids (not literally…at least I don’t think so). Harsh, maybe…
Im so sad about this… his play was great to watch and he seemed like a very decent bloke. I backed him to have a great career and take over from the big 3, but sadly it wont happen 😢
You never believe how big fan I am of thiem. Love to see him lift the Roland Garros trophy 🏆
Make a vid about my favourite could have been. Safin.
At 4:20 you see how some players like Andy Murray have best wishes for somebody recovery , supporting someone in that hard moments are crucial ( like Murray injury when he never get back as old Murray , unfortunately ) .
I wish him the best
First of all, I don’t think it is uncommon for players, or anyone in their respective life, to take their foot off the gas after achieving what they set out to achieve. Djokovic had a slump after winning his maiden RG. He, serena, Sampras and Agassi all didn’t win a second grand slam for a couple of years after winning their maiden slam. It is very common. Thiem’s struggles are pretty much down to his horrific injury and has nothing to do with him losing motivation after winning the slam. The initial slump prior the injury was definitely due to a loss of motivation but he has surely reset himself by now. Wrist injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from as we have already seen how a wrist injury hampered the career of Juan Martin Del Potro. And for someone like Thiem whose trademark shot making relies upon his ferocious power and pin-point accuracy. He doesn’t hit the ball with the same margin of error of someone like Nadal or Djokovic. That is tricky when you lose confidence. You start to not hit as close to the line as you normally would, or as powerful as you could… and then opponents will find it easier to deal with them and that in turn gives you more self doubt. it’s a vicious circle. But as Murray said, it takes time. I still think he has one slam left in him.
Drinking Redbull not always give you wings.
🤭🤗😂
I’m sure he is gonna come back stronger 👌🏼
He lose his incredible forehand after injury. His wrist can't support the same power as before.
So now with avarages shots, he have average results. Simple
Defo mental. That hunger of winning more is something that can’t be created easily. It makes Novak, Nadal, Federer’s multiple slams even after injury all the more remarkable. Dom is a mere mortal compared to them.
This is the first time I've found a video or article saying that it's potentially more mental than physical. And YES, that's exactly what happened in my opinion. The wrist injury always seemed like some kind of "reason" or "excuse" to his poor performance years later. I think it was the US Open that ruined it all... the glory could've gotten to him.
In my opinion he was already lost in the US Open final. He was just defending from far behind the baseline. Zverev's nerves lost him the match, not necessarily Thiem.
He is one of my favorite player.
Injuries sap him of his self confidence. Mental fortitude is what he needs to make a comeback.
@Tennis Plus
I find this a bit harsh towards Thiem... didn't he give you an interview or something?
Prime Thiem was one of the most explosive players we’ve ever seen . Explosiveness diminishes with age and scar tissue . The greats like Federer , adapt their game and even change their rackets .
He used huge swings playing 100 meters behind the baseline, that's anything but explosiveness.
After the baez final it is clear to see that Thiem will never be his old self. It’s sad but you can visibly tell. He doesn’t want it anymore…
Thiems style is unfortunately not sustainable. he needs way more energy to overpower the best players. thats what is so impressive about the best players. they can produce peak power when its necessary but in the rest of their play they simply play smart tennis. thiem never learned that. and now he is completely exhausted.
Devil is in the details.. the wrist is a key element for creating speed. On the top level loosing some mobility even if it is les then 5%, you go from being exceptional to being still good but never that good as before.
Probably he was playing too powerful. That's why he was injured in the first place. One of the characteristics of great players is that they know how to play inside of their limits, and rarely got injured.