EXCLUSIVE: Newly Appointed Physio Carlos Costa Talks About Dominic Thiem’s Recovery Ahead of His Comeback

Over the past few years, Dominic Thiem has enjoyed incredible success on the ATP tour. The Austrian has amassed a total of seventeen titles in his career so far and with his gritty all-round tennis, Thiem remains a nightmare for fellow athletes. The crowning moment in Thiem’s career came when he won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open 2020.

Dominic defeated Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller after losing the first two sets. In the process, the Austrian became the only Open Era player to win the US Open title coming back from a two set deficit.

While the US Open’s winning momentum lasted with the Austrian till the ATP Finals last year, he had a rough start to the 2021 season. His campaign was cut short by a right-wrist injury that he suffered during his opening-round match at Mallorca Championships.

Having recovered from that injury, the Austrian will be looking to regain his old form on the ATP tour as he aims to make an entry next year on the ‘Golden Swing’ in Latin America. In his decade-long stint on the ATP tour, Thiem never had to skip a major part of the season owing to an injury except for 2021.

To continue that injury-free record in the future, Thiem needed an experienced hand who knew how to take care of players who consistently play at the highest level. The Austrian found a promising option in Carlos Costa, the Portuguese physiotherapist whose impressive resume includes working with top stars like Kevin Anderson, Tommy Haas, and Ana Ivanovic.

Carlos was the physio of Kevin Anderson when he reached the finals of two Grand Slam events, the 2017 US Open and the 2018 Wimbledon Championships. Besides this, he also had a lengthy three-year relationship with Tommy Haas and the German player frequently credited Carlos for his efforts to keep him fit on tour.

Carlos is also the physiotherapist for the Portuguese team at the Davis Cup, as well as the Fed Cup. Carlos’ vast experience in handling top-tier stars will surely be of vital help for Dominic Thiem as he intends to maintain consistency in winning big titles going forward.

Carlos Costa recently talked to EssentiallySports journalist Varun Khanna on Dominic Thiem’s injury and how his previous associations with several top stars would help the Austrian to stay at his physical best. Here are the excerpts.

How and when did you start working with Dominic?

Dominic’s agent contact me saying I would be the perfect fit for his team and if I was available for the next season. I end up accepting the challenge, starting the collaboration at the finish of the 2021 season. 

How is Thiem doing right now? What is the status of his injury? Is he able to train fully?

The functional status of the injury is close to optimal levels, which shows that all the intensive rehab is coming to an end and soon he will be back on court. However, due to an unexpected recent cold (testing negative for COVID-19), the start is now delayed, but we are all working together as a team, to make sure that Dominic will be back at 100%.

How would have your past experiences with players like Ana Ivanovic and Kevin Anderson have helped Dominic?

Past experiences will always be part of who I’m today, so not only the work with Anderson or Ivanovic, but also since my early start and all the collaborations till now with different players, such as Tommy Haas, João Sousa, Aslan Karatsev, Davis/Fed Cup… other sport athletes or even public in general. This type of injury is quite common in tennis, but it is the first time Dominic had an injury that put him out of the courts, reason why each step needs to be carefully monitored to arrive at the courts at the best possible condition. 

From Carlos Costa’s responses, it seems clear that Thiem’s recovery is on the right path as the Austrian looks for an optimum return to tennis in 2022.

Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Holger Rune Opens up on His US Open Match Against Novak Djokovic and His Breakthrough 2021 Season