Thiem is all about achieving

Not a flash lad

Thiem is not what you would call a flash lad. He did not burst on the tennis scene, announcing his intentions and demanding attention.  

He did not arrive on the tour and start denting the reputations of the great and the good to win major trophies straight off the bat (like a certain Mr Nadal did to win his first Roland-Garros title at his first attempt).

He did not smash rackets and create headlines as he tried to plough his way up the rankings (and feel free to suggest any name who may fit that bill).

No, Dominic quietly and carefully just got on with the job. There were no great spikes, no peaks and troughs, in his rankings but, rather, just a steady progression to the top. With no fuss, no fanfares and hurrahs, he moved purposefully into the top 10 two years ago and has been there ever since. And in today’s world, that takes some doing.

When Dominic started out on his Grand Slam career, the Big Four were very much in evidence. Rafa was collecting Roland-Garros trophies to a band playing, Novak was about to begin the challenge for his non-calendar Grand Slam and no sooner had he done that than he was the ousted from the No.1 slot by Andy Murray. And while all of that was going on, the Mighty Roger was biding his time for his return to the top. This was a closed shop and newcomers were simply not allowed in. 

The only man to have beaten Rafael Nadal on clay since 2016

But our hero did not fret or worry. He went about his business quietly, methodically and with an eye-watering work ethic. He was the first of the new wave of talent to make his mark at the Grand slams, reaching the semifinal in Paris in 2016, doing it again last year and this time around, going one step further to reach his first Grand Slam final. He also had the distinction of being the only man to have beaten Rafa on clay since 2016 – and he managed it twice.

The brains behind this rise to the top is Günter Bresnik, the wily and experienced coach who has been working with Dominic for the past 14 years (although Dominic was just three years old when he first met Bresnik). Described by Boris Becker as “disciplined, hard-working and humble” and by Ernests Gulbis as “the best technical coach out there”, Bresnik is like family to Dominic. As he told the Austrian Press Agency: “He is one of the most important people in my tennis career, not only at the tournament, but in general, besides my parents or my family, without whom this would never be possible, he is clearly the other important pillar."

"We understand each other perfectly, we know what the other is going through, we know the way the other one can feel"

Also key in Dominic’s recent success is his other half, Kiki Mladenovic. The two have been an item since last year and finally went public with their relationship in January. Two competitive people doing the same job may not sound like a recipe for success but as Kiki explained, it works for them. 

"We understand each other perfectly, we know what the other is going through, we know the way the other one can feel," she said. "Also on tour for traveling it also makes it easier because we have such a crazy, busy schedule. So it’s always nice when you have your better half that can easily travel with you and also support you, see your match and understand what you’re doing.”

As for Dominic, he summed it up neatly. Having a woman in his life was very important and “I have found a very good one,” he said with a grin.

But there is not much time for relaxation and romance in his life – one of the hardest workers on the tour, he trains until he drops and then comes back to train some more. For a spot of light relief, he has his old friend Lukas Leitner travelling with him these days. Lukas has been on the road for the past 18 months and he helps keep Dominic sane in the mayhem and pressure of the tennis circuit.

“He's a very special person in my life,” he said. “We've known each other since birth, and he’s one of my four, five best friends. It's just extremely valuable when he's there because he's distracts you from tennis, you can also talk about other things and it's great.”

Dominic trains for Roland-Garros, plans for Roland-Garros and lives for Roland-Garros

Tennis, though, is the be all and end all in the Austrian’s life. The goal is to win a Grand Slam title – any one will do but Roland-Garros is the most likely setting for that triumph, should it ever come. Dominic trains for it, plans for it and lives for it.

His first major final ended in defeat but, then again, it was against Rafa and it was at Roland-Garros – no one has beaten the Spaniard in a French final before. That was no disgrace. Taking comfort from the fact that he had reached the final at all, our Dominic vowed to be back.

“I gave everything I had and I am the loser,” he said after his 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 defeat. “There is a reason why he won 11 times here. It is one of the best thing anyone ever achieved in sport. But definitely this is not my last grand slam final.” 

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.”. And none work harder to achieve that greatness than Dominic Thiem.