It is strange how tennis fame concentrates itself in so few hands. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic can barely leave the house without security, yet Dominic Thiem – the understated Austrian who is No 5 in the world – could walk through any British supermarket without being identified.

Thiem’s problem is that he has never won a major, despite an appearance in last year’s French Open final. Neither does he bad-mouth umpires or abuse water bottles in the manner of Nick Kyrgios. Instead he is one of tennis’s good guys: a passionate Chelsea fan who runs his own football team, as well as a rare advocate for equal pay in the men’s locker room. Plus, given the recent instability at the top of the game, he looks increasingly like a slam champion in waiting.

Thiem’s team go by the moniker “1. TFC” – which stands for First Tennis & Football Club. In Monte Carlo last week, The Daily Telegraph asked him to describe his squad. “Jurgen Melzer [the former world No 8] played already. Ernests Gulbis [who peaked at No 10] plays for us, even if he is not Austrian. My close friend Dennis Novak is there, and many guys who are ranked around 400 or 500 and also some retired players.