ATP-Finals: Dominic Thiem has his toes under control again

Rafa is fearless, everything is Roger with Federer and Alexander Zverev wants to stay fit: Some observations from the Media Day of the ATP Tour Finals.

By Florian Goosmann from London

After all, one is always surprised by life, why should it be different in London? The first tennis player to shine on you when you leave the underground at the o2 arena is Novak Djokovic. So is the second one. And the third too. About seventy, eighty Djokovic posters of different sizes hang and stick to the station’s exit; the clothing manufacturer can’t even for the early season out, and the crocodile is an official partner of the ATP finals. And one thing you have to admit to Djokovic: he looks chic in his winter clothes – and the volley, with which he fends off a snowball, also fits.

In person there are of course eight others, and everyone can take part in the Media Day before the start of the tournament. Grigor Dimitrov is clearly in the best mood,”I can’t hide my laughter at all” and “a dream come true”, he is happy about his premiere at the World Championships; and when Rafael Nadal is asked shortly afterwards whether he was afraid that Roger Federer might oust him from the top of the world rankings, Dimitrov calls out on the way out “Rafa is fearless”.

Nadal doesn’t seem that fearless, but there is no concrete news about the knee, but if he didn’t believe in being fit enough,”then I wouldn’t be here,”he says. Nadal still has until Monday to test his form, which should suit him well – even if he assures not to have submitted a request for a Monday start.

What is the knee in Nadal’s case is the toes in Dominic Thiem’s case: it was open wounds in between that would have hindered him in the end,”of course this is not pleasant when you have to run all the time. But I got it under control quite well and hope that the toes will now remain calm,”says Thiem. A tough affair for Thiem, because he has been struggling with it for a long time,”but on sand and grass it is easier because you don’t have to stop like that, on hardcourt it’s getting worse and worse” The training is right anyway, Thiem also says about the younger, rather weak results,”the level is always there, I haven’t forgotten it – I just have to put it in the match.

Thiems toes will still look forward to the off-season, even if after the season is well known before the season, everything is already planned for the time after the holiday. Alexander Zverev, who together with Jaz Green last year placed a lot of value on fitness and strength, wants to continue working on this, but the schedule is different:”I have almost a month less time,”says Zverev. Two-week break, three weeks of fitness and “sometime on the 18th day. or 19. Fitness is still the most important off-season area.”

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At Federer, you never really know what comes out of training phases – a new club, a new shot, a new coach; but the “Maestro” really doesn’t reveal anything new. He knew when to start training again, where he was training, when he was going to start the Hopman Cup. Oh, yes: Fitness training in the off-season is of course also at the top of Federer’s list. However, it remains to be seen whether it will be on the sand again in 2018. But he wants us to know when he knows.

And first of all it’s off here, the more irritating is the first question Federer was asked: How he sees himself qualified for the ATP finals again, how he judges this achievement. Federer himself had to think briefly, but then reflected on his start into the year and through the season – and it was indeed the case: In January he was still in 17th place in the world. Federer has to be aware of this again and again.