ATP: Thiem as your preferred training partner on Tenerife

Dominic Thiem seems to take the motto “Never change a winning game” seriously. Also this winter the 24-year-old will be preparing himself for the coming season in Tenerife and will be the training partner of choice for many a top star.

Dominic Thiem is clearly one of the top stars on the ATP tour. And it’s not only the media professionals who entice the 24-year-old. Some players want to train with Thiem in the off-season and follow the Lichtenwörther on Tenerife.

A good example of this is the German Philipp Kohlschreiber:”It’s not that easy to find such a good training partner,” Kohli explained at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna a few weeks ago. Looking back at last year’s preparations on the Spanish island, the Augsburg resident came to rave:”For me it was sensational last year and I hope that it will also be appreciated the other way round that you can train with me. It’s a great team and we had a great time last year,”says the 34-year-old at LAOLA1.

But not only prominent sparring partners from Germany would like to join Thiem. Besides Ernest’s Gulbis, Jan-Lennard Struff and Co. The Belgian top star David Goffin will also be flirting with a stay in Tenerife. For Thiem coach Günter Bresnik, it is clear why the preparation with his protégé on the island is so much in demand:”There are 150 metres from the hotel to the tennis court and the spa area is 30 metres away. It’s all so close together that we don’t lose any time,”added Bresnik.

In addition to Thiem, two other Austrians will travel with Bresnik and visit the largest of the Canary Islands for the first time. Sebastian Ofner and Dennis Novak have been planning the preparations for the tournament for quite some time,”It’s the best thing that can happen to you to train with so many good players. If you don’t profit from Dominic, then who?”, Thiem-Kumpel Novak told us and is looking forward to the time together. Ofner, who had finally made his breakthrough in 2017 and advanced to the third round in Wimbledon, is also aware that the time on Tenerife will not be easy,”I have heard that things are going to get really tough. I’m curious,”added Ofner.

Bresnik already has a rough training plan in mind:”Before breakfast there should be a run before the training really starts”, then “warming up, playing tennis, a conditioning unit, lunch and a short nap. In the afternoon, the 56-year-old listed the programme in detail. The stars will follow the “very physical training” for three weeks and get fit for the new season.

In the past, however, this “luxury preparation” was not always customary in the Thiem-Bresnik team:”In the beginning, the hotel was too expensive for us. We walked back and forth on foot. We have been able to afford the hotel for two years now,”admitted Bresnik.

After the preparation, the season for Thiem will start in Doha before the Fifth World Ranking will prepare for the Australian Open.