'I do not wish to play till 40 like Roger Federer', says Top 5

After months of absence caused by an injury and a mental situation that is anything but simple, the Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem is back in the running at the Mutua Madrid Open where he wants to show everyone that he is back in good condition. Last year Dominic won the US Open, his first Slam in his career and from that moment on he started to feel a complicated situation regarding his mental state. At the press conference, the current number 4 in the world spoke about this and many other issues responding to the curiosities of the press. In the second round Thiem will certainly face a qualified player and there is great curiosity to understand his conditions in the middle of the field. Here are Dominic's words: "I needed this break, I think it's time to go back and nowhere was better for me than Madrid. I have good memories here, the conditions are optimal for my tennis and I have often collected excellent results. In the last few weeks I have been preparing in Austria, I have done a good physical preparation and I have also trained on the pitch. Nadal? It is impressive, I see that year after year his game improves. The first time I played with him was in Buenos Aires in 2016, actually it wasn't Roland Garros seven years ago and I see that he has improved a lot compared to then." Dominic Thiem recently claimed that he considers Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to be amongst the greatest sportspersons of all time, given their dominance at the Grand Slams.

Dominic Thiem comments on Roger Federer

"Of course (he realizes the difficulty of winning 20 Slams), but I knew before that it was a huge achievement to do what Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic do," Dominic Thiem said. "Even winning one is a very difficult thing that not many players achieve. Therefore, the three of them are three of the best athletes of all time." During the interview, Dominic Thiem was also asked where he sees himself 10 years from now. Thiem suggested that he will probably be retired by then, and added that he has no intention of playing until 40 like Roger Federer. "It is likely that at 37 or 38 years old I have already retired," Thiem said. "It will be a new life, but I don't know what it will be like. No ( I do not wish to play till 40 like Federer)! [laughs]."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3h3xf4O