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"You've got to suck up a few losses": Dominic Thiem should use Djokovic, Federer and Nadal as example and not quit when it is tough says Jimmy Connors
ATPMonday, 12 February 2024 at 23:00
Jimmy
Connors has given his verdict on Dominic Thiem, suggesting that the Austrian
should take inspiration from the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and
Roger Federer. Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, has been one of the players
who posed a significant challenge to the Big-3, but his performance in the last
two years has fallen short of his best.
The
Austrian, with 16 victories over the Big-3, is the second-highest behind Andy
Murray (28). Thiem faced a tough injury in 2021 after his participation in the
French Open, forcing him to withdraw from the Mallorca Open a few weeks later,
marking the beginning of a lengthy ten-month absence from the Tour.
Since his
return, Thiem has struggled to maintain a top-100 ranking, and at 30 years old,
he is still far from the level that led him to become a Grand Slam champion.
Thiem himself has hinted at a possible retirement if he fails to regain a
competitive level. Former world No. 1 Jimmy Connors believes that Thiem still
has a lot to offer and has advised him to draw inspiration from the Big-3.
"If
that was me and and I know Dominic Thiem's not me, but I'm just saying if that
was me, I would say I'm 30 years old in comparison looking at how look Novak
Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Fedder, you know, look at some of these
guys," Jimmy Connors said.
"These
guys who are playing well into their 30s, into their mid to late 30s, and what
they've been able to accomplish. Why wouldn't you give yourself a chance to
stay out there and and try to grind it out to get back to where you
were."
"I
know what it's like coming back from it you know, from an injury, you've got to
suck up a few losses. Two years is difficult, I get it but if you continue the
grind... you can say, I gave it everything that I could to try to get back into
the best that I could be and have no regrets," Connors added.
"Dominic
Thiem has a name, you know, still even though he has been hurt, he's still has
his name and his reputation. Being 30, yes, it is worth it," Jimmy Connors
said. "You know, because he he has, he still has some time if he's willing
to pay the price".
"You
go work hard and you continue and you train and you try to get that confidence
because winning is all about confidence," he concluded.
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