World No.3 Dominic Thiem attracted a lot of criticism from the tennis fraternity after his controversial comments on the lower-ranked players regarding the Player Relief Fund. However, he struck back at the criticism he faced as he reaffirmed his position on the relief fund program.

Earlier, Algerian tennis player, Ines Ibbou, criticized Thiem in an open letter for disrespecting the sacrifices made by players like her. Ibbou also pleaded with Dominic to recognize the inequalities in tennis. She explained how some players are battling to make a living from the sport. Moreover, she insisted that not everyone is privileged like Thiem.

“I want to have the decision to decide who I help” – Dominic Thiem

However, the ‘Prince of Clay’ hit back at Ines as he remarked that if she is able to play tennis and train at a very young age then she is rather privileged.

“It is clear that there are many players who deserve that help, who fight to be better every day. But I also think that to start playing tennis and be able to train during your childhood, it is already that you benefit from a rather privileged situation. Tennis is a very expensive sport. Parents or sponsors have to pay from an early age around  50,000 or 75,000 euros. That is not easy,” Thiem told L’Equipe.

“There are many experiences that I don’t want to tell in public because they are not pretty. They are truly horrible. So I know that there are players who do not behave professionally, as this sport deserves. It is not everyone, many players are not like that. But there are others. That is why I want to have the decision to decide who I help,” he added.

Read More: “Player Relief Fund Should be Managed Better” – John Millman Defends Dominic Thiem

He further explained that there are people and organizations in the world that need more support than tennis players. Consequently, he wants to choose who he helps. He also revealed that he is already helping young players in Austria. However, he is not talking about it and doing it because they deserve it.

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It is certainly a concern for tennis’ governing bodies that the players in the lower-echelons are struggling to make their ends meet while playing the sport. There is a need for a better prize money distribution for these players to help them make a living from the sport.