Dominic Thiem admits he didn't know what to say the first time he found himself sharing a locker room with the 'Big Four.'
The Austrian is battling his way back from a long-term injury and enjoyed a decent second half of 2022, reaching the semi-finals of the Gijon Open and recording solid victories over Hubert Hurkacz and Tommy Paul.
The 2020 US Open champion is now looking ahead to re-establishing himself amongst the sport's top players in 2023 and recently revealed he didn't always believe he belonged there.
Thiem recently spoke in a candid interview with the Tennis Channel, where he revealed he was a bit starstruck when he first encountered Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the tour locker room.
During the chat, the 29-year-old insisted it was him that should be 'embarrassed' about the awkwardness, not the men who dominated men's tennis for so many years.
He said: "Actually that must be the first time when I when I’ve been in the same locker room with Rafa, Roger, Novak, Andy you know, I mean you see these guys when you’re only 10 years old in the TV and then you are next to them in the locker room and they kind of don’t know what to say, you’re like, ‘Oh! Who is that?’, I mean I didn’t even know that those guys were real. So that’s pretty embarrassing, not for them, but for me.”
Thiem will now be used to mixing with the top tennis talent on tour having been a tour pro since 2011.
His preparation for what he hopes will be a big new season next year will be to play at the Diriyah Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia and the World Tennis League in Dubai, with a big goal of his being to get his ranking down again, with Thiem now sitting at World No. 102 from his career high No.3 in March 2020.
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