2023-07-03 06:45:01
For Dominic Thiem is the Wimbledon opening match against Stefanos Tsitsipas also a return to the tennis “Mecca” after four years. In addition to the cancellation of the 2020 tournament due to the pandemic, this injury-related time-out may have reignited respect for the most prestigious tennis tournament. “I already missed not being there,” admitted the former world number three. Incidentally, it will also be his first Wimbledon as a Grand Slam winner.
Of course, Thiem does not have such good memories in Wimbledon as he does of the US Open victory in 2020, although he also had great results on grass with the title in Stuttgart, the semi-finals in Halle (both 2016) and the Wimbledon round of 16 in 2017 had.
“Unbelievably pretty”
“Yes, those were my two best years on the pitch. The best memory here is the fourth round in 2017. Back then, before the round of 16, there was still a free Sunday in the middle of the tournament. The whole facility was empty on Sunday and I was still part of the 2nd week,” Thiem recalled, adding: “Even if I would have preferred to have won the match.” At that time he had lost in five sets against the Czech Tomas Berdych.
But you don’t have to be a Wimbledon champion to love the special flair of the tournament on Church Road. “First of all, it’s an incredibly beautiful event. The way the whole facility is maintained is amazing. Plus, this almost exaggerated tradition also has its appeal,” says the Lower Austrian. In addition, Thiem is the prestige of Wimbledon, a concept that goes far beyond the sport. “Even people who aren’t tennis fans know Wimbledon. It’s the only tennis term that people still know.” In general, the Grand Slams are something special for Thiem, “but this one is a little higher”.
Strict dress code
Which tradition fascinates him most is the most obvious. The absolutely strict dress code with only white clothing. “It’s happened to me a couple of times that something wasn’t all white, a colored sweatband or something. It just doesn’t work. If you’re not dressed in all white, you just get kicked out of the seat. That’s on one side It’s a bit strange, but it’s also a cool thing that people still pay attention to it.” That is what makes the tournament special.
A slight relaxation, which is also long overdue, will apply to women from this year: They can now wear colored shorts under their white skirts to take account of menstrual cycles. The discussion had been going on for a long time. The Olympic champion Monica Puig, who has since retired, complained about the “mental stress” of having to wear white at Wimbledon without exception. She always prayed not to get her period in the two weeks of Wimbledon.
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