Thiem reacts after brilliant maiden Grand Slam triumph at US Open: "I achieved a life goal, a dream which I had for many, many years"

Monday, 14 September 2020 at 11:30

Dominic Thiem claimed a brilliant maiden Grand Slam triumph on Sunday night winning the US Open in a marathon 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6) win over Alexander Zverev which lasted just over four hours on Arthur Ashe.

Thiem spoke afterwards and revealed that it is a culmination of dedicating his life to tennis and to winning one of the big titles and now he has final done it.

“It was such a big relief,” said Thiem. “It's just the highest thing [that] you can achieve in tennis.”

“I achieved a life goal, a dream [for] myself, which I had for many, many years. Of course [I had that dream] as a kid as well when I started to play tennis. But back then it was so far away."

“At one point I realised that, ‘Wow, maybe one day I can really win one of the four biggest titles in tennis.’ I put a lot of work in. I dedicated basically my whole life until this point to win one of the four majors. Now I did it.”

In terms of his previous record in finals, the Austrian said it played on his mind and that in reality it isn't good as you can never fully focus fully on the task at hand.

But he never gave up hope when Zverev broke in the third set to move towards victory and his confidence grew from there.

“I wanted this title so much and of course [it] was also in my head that if I lost this one, it's 0-4 [in major finals],” Thiem continued. “It's always in your head: ‘Is this chance ever coming back again?’ This, that, all these thoughts, which are not great to play your best tennis, to play free.”

“It was tough to stay there and to still believe. But I did. It's a Slam final,” Thiem concluded. “I always had hope and the expectation that at one point I’d free up. Luckily it was not too late when I broke him back in the third set. The belief was always there. From that moment, when I broke him back for [2-2] in the third set, the belief got stronger and stronger.”

https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1305320346610995201?s=20

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

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