Dominic Thiem beats Rafael Nadal at the ATP Finals in London
Tennis star Dominic Thiem has lifted the lid on the stomach issue that ruined his US Open dreams earlier this year and admitted his problems may have been caused by spicy food. Thiem is a previous US Open champion having defeated Alexander Zverev in the 2020 final but only reached the second round of the tournament this year.
Thiem started his 2023 US Open campaign by overcoming Alexander Bublik in straight sets in the first round. He had the upper hand in the early stages of his second round showdown with Ben Shelton before losing a first set tiebreak. The 30-year-old was then forced to retire after the first game of the second set and just 67 minutes into the match due a stomach issue.
And ahead of this week’s Vienna Open, Thiem explained: “It was a long story with my stomach. After the US Open, I couldn’t do anything for two weeks before I could start training again.
“But now I’m fine again. All I know is that it wasn’t bacteria. Maybe I got some bad water or food somewhere. I love spicy food – maybe I had too much of it.”
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Thiem was destined to reach the very top of the game just half a decade ago as he progressed to two French Open finals and the Australian Open final ahead of his triumph at Flushing Meadows. He rose to world No 3 in early 2020 but has struggled for form since returning from a serious wrist injury, which halted his playing activity in mid-2021 and saw him miss three Grand Slams on the bounce.
He had subsequently been dumped out of every Grand Slam in the first round before going one step better in New York. And the Austrian, who has fallen in the world rankings to No 99, will be looking to find his form in his homeland this week as he takes on two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round.
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“He’s the favourite for sure, but if I bring my performance to the court, I’m sure I’ll have chances,” Thiem added. “The last duels were all very close and were only decided in the tiebreak of the last set. Especially indoors, often only a few points decide.
“In the first years here, that might have inhibited me a little. Now it’s no longer like that, especially since I was able to win the tournament in 2019. I’m looking forward to that positive energy, which is incredibly helpful for me.”
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