Dennis Novak & Thiem: Who's Baby Bowser During Quarantine?
Dennis Novak broke into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time last season, and his surge started at the ATP Cup.
Novak played three tough three-setters for Austria as the country’s No. 2 singles player, and he earned a win against World No. 25 Guido Pella. The 6’ righty climbed as high as World No. 85 in March. Now, he is ready to begin another season by representing Austria in the ATP Cup.
Before the start of the 12-country event, Novak sat down with ATPTour.com to reveal how he has been passing the time during quarantine.
What is a day in the life of quarantine like for you?
We wake up, we get tested, we have breakfast. We get ready for practice… We have time to be outside. We come back, do some stretching, eat, shower and then watch some movies and try to kill the time.
Who is your most frequently contacted person during this quarantine period?
Dominic [Thiem]. [We keep in touch by] texting, playing games online against each other.
What games do you play against each other online?
We play a lot of Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch. That’s at the moment the only thing we play [on Nintendo Switch]. I play with Baby Bowser and he takes Toad. I also have a PlayStation with me. I play with his brother [Moritz Thiem]. We play Formula 1 and we have a few more games.
Have you been watching any shows in quarantine?
I just started a new show on Netflix, Shooter. I’m just really into it. I cannot stop. Also a French one, Lupin. But there is only one season out, so it’s only five or six episodes. For Shooter there are a lot more.
Are you reading any books or doing anything else?
I [recently] read two books about Covid, which were really interesting. I like to read biographies of sportsmen. For me, the best sports biography I’ve read was about Niki Lauda.
What are some of the best in-room workout tips that you have found?
You can do a lot just with your body weight and with the band, maybe. I think those are the two things I do the most.
What’s your go-to pick-up order that you have?
A lot of pasta and fish.
You’ve been watching some shows, playing some games. What else do you do to pass the time?
Just watching some news from home in Austria on the Internet, just being on the Internet, playing games, maybe sleeping. But that’s it.