'I want to get back at 100% by Roland Garros,' said Dominic Thiem

World no. 4 Dominic Thiem is off to a shaky start of the new season, winning five matches at four tournaments and failing to repeat the last year's Australian Open success.

The last year's US Open champion said that he needed a break from tennis in a previous couple of weeks, recharging batteries and barely following Miami action. Dominic withdrew from Miami and Monte Carlo and will start the clay swing at the Serbia Open in Belgrade. The Austrian wants to play competitive matches in Madrid and Rome and get back at 100% by Roland Garros, where he dreams about challenging Rafael Nadal for the title.

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"I have subordinated my whole life to win a Major title; I managed to do so with an incredible amount of energy. It is also clear that it will take a while before I have reoriented myself and set new goals. The problem is that there is no such time in tennis. The Major title I won in New York was forgotten by Melbourne, as the sport is so fast-paced. I also have to give myself a certain amount of time to set new goals. But that only applies to me personally.

I didn't do much in the last couple of weeks, and I also watched very little tennis. I think that's the most important thing, that you take a break and don't keep your head on the Miami results or something. It's necessary to stay away from tennis sometimes. At some point, you will get hungry again. I've been back in training for three days and have done a few tests to see where I am. It doesn't look too bad.

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I can be physically in top shape again in Madrid, but it's about the match practice and encounters against the world's best players. I have to make sure that I get those in Madrid and Rome and play at 100% at Roland Garros. Everything has become a bit more balanced. Paris is still a special situation because Nadal is above everyone else there. Otherwise, the number of those who can win a Major title has increased. Before, we had Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, and there are six of seven candidates now, which makes the sport more interesting," Dominic Thiem said.