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80<br />
Tennis player, 26, AUT.<br />
Thiem is currently third in the ATP world<br />
rankings, having lived the highs and lows<br />
of his sport since the age of 6.<br />
Dominic<br />
Thiem<br />
Master of the curve<br />
Tennis ace Dominic Thiem uses his <strong>2020</strong><br />
Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic<br />
to explain how he deals with mental pressure.<br />
Narrow loss: Thiem and Djokovic<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
1<br />
“Losing the first set<br />
hurts. And it hurts even<br />
more against a great<br />
player like Djokovic.<br />
<strong>The</strong> break at the end<br />
of the set helps. I take<br />
a few deep breaths<br />
and analyze: It was<br />
close, and I’m still in<br />
this. I immediately feel<br />
momentum. I can’t<br />
change the conditions.<br />
But I can make the most<br />
of the slightest thing<br />
and latch onto it.”<br />
1<br />
First set Second set Third set Fourth set Fifth set After the match<br />
2<br />
“Now I’ve got Djokovic<br />
where I want him. He’s<br />
berating himself, not<br />
playing well. This is<br />
when I have to stay<br />
calm, play with full<br />
concentration and<br />
keep him in the same<br />
situation for as long as<br />
I can. I try to behave as<br />
calmly as possible when<br />
he makes errors, even<br />
more than when I do.<br />
I don’t want to get him<br />
riled up.”<br />
3<br />
“I’ve been in the zone<br />
for the last set. No<br />
noticeable dips in level.<br />
All just tennis. I might<br />
play the odd bad game<br />
or make a mess of two<br />
or three points, but<br />
none of that bothers<br />
me. I know what my<br />
strengths are, and<br />
they’ve got me this far.<br />
You forget errors<br />
quickly. I’m just looking<br />
for my opportunity to<br />
win the next point.”<br />
4<br />
“I’ve been on court for<br />
more than three hours.<br />
It’s really lonely down<br />
here. Thankfully, I can<br />
always turn to my box.<br />
My coach and family are<br />
there. I see faces and<br />
people I trust, who have<br />
faith in me. <strong>The</strong>ir energy<br />
gives me an enormous<br />
boost. <strong>The</strong> worse things<br />
are going, the more<br />
often I look up at them.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n everything’s<br />
better again.”<br />
5<br />
5<br />
“That’s it. I’ve lost.<br />
And now? <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
a feeling of total<br />
emptiness. <strong>The</strong> trophy<br />
presentation. Press<br />
conferences. Duties.<br />
None of it nice. I feel<br />
awful for five days.<br />
But then I can put it<br />
all into perspective:<br />
I played incredibly<br />
against the eight-time<br />
champion. And there<br />
will definitely be<br />
another opportunity ...”<br />
PHILIPP PLATZER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, GETTY IMAGES CHRISTIAN EBERLE-ABASOLO<br />
84 THE RED BULLETIN
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