Once upon a time there was a champion: self-confident, strong, with an incredibly powerful forehand.

One who taught others to fear and could compete with the best in tennis history: with Rafael Nadal on his beloved sand, with Novak Djokovic on his territory, the hard court.

Thomas Klemm

sports editor.

  • Follow I follow

In 2020 he crowned himself the US Open winner in a dramatic five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev from Hamburg.

These days, however, Dominic Thiem is not acting like a champion, but is a sad-looking tennis professional.

He wants wins on the pitch.

What he gets is compassion.

Also in Paris, where the Austrian was in his best times twice in the final and twice in the semifinals.

Terrible.

Quick out

This year's edition of Roland Garros, like last year's, was over quickly for Thiem: after two hours, one minute and three sets.

3: 6, 2: 6, 4: 6 he lost his opening match against Hugo Dellien.

Previously he would have put the Bolivian under a lot of pressure, with great jaunty shots that bounced the ball high in the opponent's court with his one-handed backhand.

After a severe wrist injury and a ten-month break, the 28-year-old is now struggling to catch up with those up there.

When Thiem was asked after the defeat why it was that he also lost his seventh match after the comeback in March, he began a long list.

The forehand lacks power, the backhand lacks length, his serves don't hurt an opponent, he makes "stupid decisions" during rallies, and because everything has been making him nervous for weeks, his body gets stiff.

"It's bitter to sit here and always rattle off the same sentences after defeats," Dominic Thiem finished his list of shortcomings. There is only one key to getting out of the crisis: "Be patient." A Herculean task.

The tennis world gets intoxicated every year with the big comebacks.

From Roger Federer, who went from being a patient to a Grand Slam winner again in 2017.

From Nadal, who keeps overcoming his foot problems and most recently won the Australian Open after a break.

Djokovic also often successfully overplayed his rare setbacks.

Thiem, third in the world rankings 14 months ago, stands for the opposite.

Even as a tennis child, it took him longer than others to reach the previous level after forced breaks.

Actually, according to Thiem's ​​summary after another sad business trip, "nothing unexpected happened to me in Roland Garros".

The "Domminator", as he was once called based on his nickname, is playing more like a thiem at the moment.