Share

Thiem to host 8-man tournament in July

World No 3 Dominic Thiem will host an invitational eight-man tennis tournament in Kitzbuehel with a "limited audience" from 7-11 July, organisers announced on Saturday.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist will be joined by Frenchman Gael Monfils in the clay-court event.

Austrian star Thiem is also set to play in a Berlin tournament, starting on 13 July, featuring Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios.

The ATP and WTA Tours have been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the ATP saying it will not resume official play until August.

But organisers for the "Thiem's Seven" event say there will be a total of €300 000 euros in prize money on offer, with the tournament to be staged in a round-robin format similar to the ATP Finals.

"From Tuesday (7 July) we are planning a day and a night session every day," said tournament director Florian Zinnagl.

"In front of a limited audience and, of course, strictly in accordance with the regulations of the Austrian federal government."

The matches will be televised live.

The other six players to be invited are yet to be announced.

"The goal is to offer players matches under competitive conditions that are harder to replicate in training," said Thiem's father Wolfgang, who is helping organise the tournament.

"The format guarantees each player at least three matches. We will invite good and interesting names."

World No 1 Novak Djokovic is also hosting a tournament in Belgrade in mid-June.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE