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From OÖN-Sport/APA, October 9, 2024, 5:28 p.m
Image: APA/Eva Manhart
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Thomas Muster
Image: APA/Eva Manhart
VIENNA. The former tennis world number one donated his trophies and spoke about current topics in tennis.
Thomas Muster has had an eventful and successful life. At the opening of the “Official Tennis Experience” exhibition in Stadthalle F on Tuesday evening, the former world number one led through the exhibits almost like a museum director, peppered with many of his trophies and the associated stories.
In a smaller circle, Muster also spoke about the end of Dominic Thiem’s career, about the hope of Joel Schwärzler and the important move abroad.
“I’m separating from a part of my life, even if it’s difficult, but it’s just materialistic,” said Muster about his trophies, which are expected to bring in a six-figure amount for the benefit of the Ö3 Christmas miracle. Many younger tennis fans are probably becoming aware of what this Thomas Muster achieved in his time. The oft-used comparison with Thiem no longer really fits.
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});“You can’t compare the generations. I played 55 finals, won 44, that’s not nothing. I was number one in the world and won a Grand Slam. You can also see that there’s a bit of something behind it,” said Muster . “That’s always been the motto: if you get to the final, then you win. That wasn’t always successful, especially not three times in the town hall, that was a bad result,” is Muster’s review of the town hall a fly in the ointment.
Especially because of the 1988 Vienna final lost against Horst Skoff after he had vomited all night and he hadn’t actually wanted to compete.
“You actually have to stay in bed that day. But Leo (the tournament director at the time, Leo-Günther Huemer, note) told me, ‘The hall is sold out, you have to play’. What should I have done? I shouldn’t have played, people would have said that I was afraid and didn’t dare play against Horsti. On the other hand, I knew I couldn’t win because ‘best of five’ was never possible for me. That was the scandal at the time -Finale – one spits, the other ankles.”
Both Muster’s and Thiem’s careers ended at the age of 31, even though the Styrian tried again more than ten years later. “It’s a bit early for me,” said Muster about Thiem’s decision.
“I can’t judge the wrist, I’m not a doctor, I can’t get into its emotional world. I just know that at that age you start to think a little differently about your own life. For me it’s because of pain It was a relatively spontaneous process for him. For me, it’s still very early when I look at Wawrinka or other players. I wish him all the best and also that he makes his decision in ten years still stands.”
More on the topic
Dominic Thiem’s mother: “To all the smart Austrians, (…) poor sausages and hot dogs”
Muster has remained loyal to the Vienna tournament as a tournament ambassador for over a decade to this day. “The tournament was always valuable. If you look at who didn’t play here (among the big stars, note), there are three names: Rafael Nadal, Björn Borg and Jim Courier.” The tournament has changed enormously. Back then there were no LED displays, not even separate changing rooms or a gym for the players. “You used to be able to get something from the buffet with food tokens.”
With the end of Thiem’s career, the focus from a red-white-red perspective is on future hope Joel Schwärzler. “He’s now going his own way without Jürgen Melzer. Many people were good when he was younger,” warns Muster, who has already seen the 18-year-old achieve considerable success in men’s tennis. With Schwärzler’s Spanish manager Galo Blanco, a foreign path seems to be set for the Vorarlberg native, who has not yet announced a coaching decision.
Muster would welcome that: “Yes. If you are the best in the country, you have to run away. You have to cast your horns somewhere else, tap into other sources, that’s what I did too. Most people claim that Thomas Muster did it out of tax evasion lived in Monaco, but I was only able to share a room with Ronnie (Leitgeb). But we barely had the money to afford the apartment,” recalled the 1995 French Open winner.
But it was a “smart move”; the best trained in Monaco for a long time, including Björn Borg, Mats Wilander and Boris Becker. “It was the best thing I could have done at the time.” It is wrong to believe that in Austria you grow up with one sport. Muster mentioned skiing as an exception.
Muster answered a related question that he himself would support Schwärzler with advice and support. “I will never offer myself, I don’t want to coach him.” Even though a lot of things in the modern tennis circuit have changed with the times, the “laws of sport have not changed” in terms of patterns.
His tip for the boys? “Fight, fight, pull together and do it. Nothing is given to anyone, there are hundreds of thousands of people who want to do the same thing and there are only ten places in the top ten.”
The current number one would also be the defending champion in Vienna. Muster has a mixed opinion about Jannik Sinner and his doping case: “It’s a difficult story because I like Sinner a lot. I would never accuse him of intentionality. He explained to us the small amount of how it got into his body. The question is: if you let this go, where do you draw the line? You’re opening the door. I’m not accusing him of anything, I’m the first to say, please don’t block him, but there are laws and there are people for it “Something like that has already been blocked. It’s an incredible borderline case. I’m glad I don’t have to make the decision.”
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