Dominic Thiem is calling his title in Stuttgart the "happiest moment" of his tennis career.
The 22-year-old Austrian said he did not anticipate doing much at the tournament, having come off a semifinal showing at the French Open. But he defeated Roger Federer in the semifinals and defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber in a final delayed a day because of rain.
"It is really great to have won four difficult matches,” he told reporters in Halle. “And, of course, the victory [in] the semifinals against Federer, which I wouldn’t have thought of in my wildest dreams, and then the very difficult final over two days.”
Thiem said he "actually had intended [to have] a relaxed week" in Stuttgart, and experienced little pressure until getting to the final.
"I think I rarely had as much fun during the matches as I had last week,” the rising star said.
Thiem’s recent run has taken him to seventh in the rankings, a career high. He’s played back-to-back for several weeks, but despite his rigorous schedule, he’s ready for more.
"At some point I will take a break for a week,” he acknowledged, “but at the moment I feel good physically."
The Austrian has won four titles this season, also taking home trophies in Buenos Aires, Acapulco and Nice.