Dominic Thiem shares thoughts on ATP Cup and confirms Paris 2024 plans
World no. 5 Dominic Thiem has been one of the best players on clay in the last couple of seasons but he is yet to find the form on the slowest surface in 2019. Losing in the semi-final in Buenos Aires and at the beginning of Rio de Janeiro in February, Dominic returned to clay last week in Monte Carlo where Dusan Lajovic toppled him in straight sets in the third round, leaving the Austrian on just nine wins this year. Dominic is trying to find the form and results in Barcelona, beating Diego Schwartzman in the second round and setting Jaume Munar clash on Thursday.
At the pre-event press conference, Dominic spoke about various topics and mentioned Davis Cup and ATP Cup story that has been on in the tennis world for the last couple of months. Some ten days ago, Dominic confirmed he would not play Tokyo Olympics next summer, opting to stay at home in Kitzbuhel and fight for an ATP title on clay instead of traveling to Asia. On the other hand, he is looking forward to competing at the inaugural ATP Cup next January together with other players from the top-100, using it as the perfect opportunity to prepare for the Australian Open. Also, Thiem is ready to play for the Olympic glory in Paris 2024 on clay, eager to embrace Davis Cup duties before that to secure the place in Paris.
"I always said that I like Davis Cup changes but I would prefer if they made it every two or three years. I'm sure the final tournament will be great and I'm sad we didn't qualify. The ATP Cup has the advantage because of the date in the calendar and many good players will be there, straight before the Australian Open. I'm going to play it and looking forward to it already. For me, it is nice to have team competitions where you don't play for yourself but your country. I will not play the Olympics in 2020 but I want to compete in Paris 2024 so I will play Davis Cup before that, it is not a big deal."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2DuEYnB
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