Former Coach Sues Dominic Thiem for 450K Euros, May Reach Out-of-Court Settlement

That Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem has had a widely-publicized falling out with former coach Gunter Bresnik is known but the tennis world was taken by surprise when the latter filed a lawsuit against the former.

Gunter Bresnik helped Dominic Thiem clinch sponsorship, equipment deals

The 59-year-old, who coached Thiem in his academy in Vienna, sued the reigning US Open champion for around 450,0000 euros over sponsorship and equipment deals that he brokered for the Austrian.

Now, there are media reports that Thiem and his family could soon find a way out of this legal wrangle through an out-of-court settlement.

Thiem separated from his long-time coach in 2019. 

The amount that Bresnik sued Thiem for related to the latter’s earnings in the first quarter of this season.

Bresnik sued Thiem for 450,000 euros over deals

It is understood that the feuding parties met at the Palace of Justice in Austria on Friday afternoon and agreed to hold negotiations for a settlement in the presence of a judicial mediator.

Had the financial agreement between Thiem and Bresnik concluded in 2014, the latter would have secured 30 percent of all sponsorship deals that he brokered until the end of the Austrian’s career.

However, the contract was changed and its term was reduced without the knowledge of Thiem’s current manager Herwig Straka being aware of it.

Straka then negotiated a solution with Thiem’s former coach, whereby Bresnik was guaranteed a share of Thiem’s earnings.

Thiem, Bresnik have agreed to settle in presence of mediator

However, Thiem’s lawyer declared the revised contract null-and-void and dissolved it bringing the two parties into dispute again. 

Read More: “Will do everything to keep him No.1”: Dominic Thiem on Protecting Roger Federer’s Records

Thiem’s lawyer claimed Straka and his client were “fraudulently deceived” by Bresnik.

However, Bresnik denied the claim and filed a lawsuit at the Vienna Regional Court for Civil Law Matters.

However, it now looks like a solution is on the cards as the two parties are ready for talks and a negotiated settlement.