Dominic Thiem: ‘The Making of a Grand Slam Champion’ (Ep84)

This week we’re delighted to welcome Dominic Thiem to the show. We’ve waited nearly 100 shows but finally tennis has arrived, right in the middle of the US Open, which Dominic won in a 5 set epic in 2020. One of the few non-Federer, Nadal, Djokovic players to win a slam while those three were at their peak, Dominic’s career saw him win 17 ATP titles alongside the Slam before being forced into retirement at just 31 through injury.

But in his own words, Dominic describes this as a ‘new beginning not a farewell’. From playing through the most incredible era tennis has seen, losing two French Open finals to Nadal and one Australian Open to Djokovic, receiving over $30m in prize money; this is a serious education that few could even think about experiencing. So how is Dominic applying this to his life away from the court, and what is it like for a tennis player when they move on from an individual sport that requires your 100% focus?

As a big tennis fan, this was a special show to do with one of the most normal and humble athletes we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. A different conversation full of unique insight delivered through the sharing of stories that we all want to know about.

On today’s show we discuss:

The Power of Grand Slams:

• What makes the four Grand Slams such incredible events to participate in…and which one did Dominic enjoy the most?
• Playing Rafael Nadal in two French Open finals and the aura that surrounded one of the sport’s greatest ever players.
• Dominic’s triumphant 2020 US Open victory; coming from two sets down to achieve his lifetime ambition.
• The pain of loss and the 2020 Australian Open final defeat to Djokovic.

The Finances of Tennis Players:

• Is the distribution of revenue from tournaments to players sufficient?
• Can you carve out a career for yourself if you are outside of the world top 100?
• The importance of capitalising on success to build your value as a brand off the court.
• A look at the ATP’s ‘Baseline Initiative’: does the effort to ensure players have a minimum fixed annual salary work?
• What was it like to receive his first paycheck of €4,000 just for playing in a tournament?
• How are the finances divided up amongst the players team when prize money is received?
• How it can cost nearly $1m for a young player to reach the top of the sport!

The Tennis World Today:

• How important has the rise of Alcaraz and Sinner been to carry forward this next phase of tennis?
• The importance of academies and investment into tennis to make the pathway for young players easier to navigate.
• Is tennis about to see a LIV golf style disruption?
• What rules would Dominic change to make the sport more appealing to the audience of today?

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

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