- Dominic Thiem has said he wants to play doubles with Serena Williams at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.
- Thiem and Williams went viral at the French Open after the Austrian player was kicked out of a press conference to make way for the American, who had just been dumped out of the tournament.
- Thiem later said Williams showed "a bad personality," something he was called a "bonehead" for by US talk show host Whoopi Goldberg.
- At a press conference on Tuesday, the Austrian athlete praised Williams for all she has accomplished in the sport as a 23-time Grand Slam champion.
- Wimbledon begins on July 1.
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Dominic Thiem, the male tennis player who said Serena Williams showed a "bad personality" earlier in the month, is now joking that he wants to play doubles with her at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships in London.
Williams was eliminated from the third round of the French Open when she was upset in straight sets by fellow American, Sofia Kenin. Williams left the court and wanted to address the press in the French Open media room.
But Thiem was already in the room, speaking to journalists following his win against Pablo Cuevas. To accommodate Williams, Thiem was ejected. He later complained out of "principle."
He then said Williams "showed a bad personality" and was "100% sure Federer or Nadal would never do something like that."
The incident went viral and was even discussed on the US talk show "The View," where Whoopi Goldberg sided with Williams, saying: "Listen man, don't nobody know who you are."
At a press conference on Tuesday, Thiem again talked about Williams. This time, he praised the American for what she has accomplished in the sport as a 23-time Grand Slam champion. He then joked about playing on the same team in the mixed doubles event at the third major event of the year.
"I want to make clear: What Serena achieved in her career is out of everyone's imagination," Thiem said, according to Lukas Zahrer of Austrian sports website Spox.com. "I feel a bit sorry for what happened, maybe we can play mixed doubles in Wimbledon one day."
Thiem reached the French Open final having dumped Novak Djokovic out of the tournament in the semifinal stage, but came unstuck three sets to one in the final against eventual winner Rafael Nadal.
Thiem is one of the best players in men's tennis, capable of pulling off shots so extraordinary his opponents stand and applaud.
Wimbledon, the grass major, begins on July 1 and ends on July 14.