“I Don’t Really Want to Clarify Anything” – Dominic Thiem Hits Back at Critics

World No.3 Dominic Thiem faced a lot of criticism for his comments on the lower-ranked players as he refused to contribute for the Player Relief Fund, which was planned by Novak Djokovic to financially help the lower level professionals during the coronavirus shut down.

Thiem clarified his stance as he explained that some players are not worthy of support and he wants to help only those who really need it.

“I supported players long before Corona” – Dominic Thiem

“I don’t really want to clarify anything, I stand by what I said. The problem was that a headline was taken out, there was a shortening. I said from the start that a lot of players are worthy of support. But I was on the Future Tour myself for more than two years. There are not so few who just hang around and see it as a beautiful life. That is also a fact,” Thiem told in an interview with Derstandard.

“I want to decide for myself who I help. I supported players long before Corona, but I don’t give names. Donating is a private matter, a matter close to the heart. You don’t have to hang that on the big bell, just to look great in public. I give money to various organizations that care about people, animals, or the climate,” he added.

Earlier, Algerian tennis star Ines Ibbou took a dig at Thiem in an open letter, asking the latter to at least respect the sacrifices made by players like her. However, Thiem explained that Ibbou’s letter was directed towards the wrong person.

“I did not watch the video completely, it was very emotional but went to the completely wrong addressee. It was a missed topic. The only thing I said is that there are players who don’t deserve support. I’ll stick with it,” Thiem concluded.

Read More: “Thiem Cannot Correct This Imbalance” – Dominic Thiem Clarifies Stand On Player Relief Fund

Many players at the lower echelons depend solely on tournament earnings to make a living. Consequently, these players fell into deep financial crisis during the hiatus. We hope the governing bodies of tennis find a solution for these players so that they make a good living from the sport.