Nicolas Massu reveals gameplan for Thiem to succeed against Djokovic "Confidence is key"

Sunday, 02 February 2020 at 08:00

As Dominic Thiem prepares to face Novak Djokovic for his first Major title, his coaches Nicolas Massu and Wolfgang Thiem believe their student's confidence will be a huge factor in determining the outcome of the match.

“For me the most important thing is the confidence. You are alone in this sport. You have to take decisions,” Massu said. “If you win one tournament or you play one unbelievable tournament like Indian Wells, for example, then you believe that you can make big things.”

After losing in the second round here last year, the Austrian went on to win three hard court titles in 2019. Furthermore, he reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals.

These positive results have only served to increase Thiem's confidence on the surface, as he was formerly regarded as a clay-court specialist.

“Indian Wells was a slow hard court. The bounce was really high. It’s perfect for him. But then he started to play very, very solid on that surface,” Massu said.

“Then he won in Vienna, finals in Masters in London, also [winning] Beijing. He was playing really, really well. Sometimes small details make a big difference. But I think it's confidence, that you believe you can play the same tennis on both surfaces.”

This will be Thiem's third appearance in a grand slam final, having lost to Nadal at Roland Garros over the past two years. The Austrian's team is hoping he has learnt from his experiences and will make the necessary adjustments against Djokovic.

“Every time you play important matches like a final of a Slam, you get more experience. Dominic already played two… Of course that helps that you passed this situation before,” Massu said.

“It doesn't matter sometimes which Slam because the surface changes, but the experience is that you go on court, you play against the best players in the world. I think he arrives with a lot of confidence.”

Although Djokovic leads 6-4 in career meetings, Thiem has won four of the last five and a victory on Sunday will vault him to a career high World No.3.

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

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