Thiem after first major: “Huge relief”

The 27-year-old from Lower Austria felt “a huge relief”. after the wafer-thin five-set victory over Alexander Zverev. He also spoke about, among other things, what this title in Flushing Meadows could mean for his future career.

What were your thoughts after that match point lying on your back and what can this liberation mean for your career now? Thiem: “The way the ball flew out on match point was just a huge relief. All the emotions, all the pressure from the match, from the entire tournament suddenly disappeared. An overjoyed moment: a bit like Vienna or Indian Wells, only a lot stronger. I hope that the title generally makes me a little bit relieved because I've had a huge career so far that I'm very proud of and that I never expected. But the really big title has been missing until now. The topic has now been ticked off and I hope and expect that this will help me a little and that I can go into the matches and the really big tournaments more relaxed.”

What does it feel like to win this first major title in New York? “I've always said that it really doesn't matter to me which of the four (majors, note) comes, the main thing is that one came. Of course, especially at the beginning when I got into the top ten and played the first semi-final in Paris, it was most likely that it would happen there at some point. But towards the end of last year, the hardcourt became a very good friend of mine. I've noticed more and more that some of my shots and moves work even better on hardcourt than on clay. Then I also had really good results with Beijing, Vienna, London and Australia. Then I knew that I could make it to any tournament. Knowing that, plus losing the first three finals, and then actually doing it, especially like today with all the drama, makes me really happy. I’m endlessly happy that it worked today.”

Falling into each other's arms after the game: Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev © APA/getty / MATTHEW STOCKMAN

Was there a phase in which you needed the audience and how sad was the award ceremony in the empty giant stadium? “The crowd would have helped both of us towards the end of the match. I was just so nervous at the beginning and played really badly at times in the first two sets. Maybe it would have been a little more difficult with an audience because there would have been a few murmurs because of some mistakes. But then in the fifth set we both gave it our all, physically and mentally, so some support would have been nice. The award ceremony: it would certainly have been nice in front of all those people. Hopefully there were a lot of people there watching TV.”

Did you think of anything in that fifth sentence? “Mind games started after the first game in the fifth set. I was chasing the game from the start and then suddenly I was a break ahead. Of course, the thought inevitably comes to mind 'uh, you could really do it today'. But that was a mistake because the arm became a bit heavy in the game. I brought him back a bit with the rebreak and from then on it was a completely open exchange of blows. At 3:4 I start to struggle physically, but so does he. At 3:5 I saw myself having lost the fourth final and then luckily I played a great game for the rebreak. Then the drama was unbeatable and absolutely sensational.”

You had problems in the fifth set: were you afraid your body wouldn't allow you to win the match? “I got a bit of cramp at the end of the fifth set. That was the first time in many years. But I don't think these were physical cramps. It was mental. I was actually super nervous all day and also at the start of the match. Somehow faith was stronger than body today and I’m overjoyed about it.”

Roland Garros will soon be just around the corner. Does Rafael Nadal have a big advantage because he decided not to play in the USA? “Well, I think I will be 100 percent physically fit. I will have enough time to recover from the problems I had. The question is how I will deal with the emotions mentally. I've never been in this situation before. I have achieved a big, big goal. Nevertheless, I expect that it will now be easier for me in the big tournaments.”

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Thiem after first major: “Huge relief”

After the biggest triumph of his career so far, Dominic Thiem answered questions from the media.

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