So when he reviewed his passage to the third round of Wimbledon despite the constraints of a back stiffer than an old-school surfboard, you could tell he was feeling stoked when he said "it's been a pretty good effort".
It has indeed. Thompson's been on court for 10 sets of singles tennis so far and two of doubles, which is remarkable given a fortnight ago his back was so stiff he would not have been able to bend down to pack his suitcase.
Fortunately, he's not had reason to do that so far this Wimbledon, and he's aiming to extend his singles run into the weekend when he plays Luciano Darderi in the third round on Friday.
The Italian is ranked 59 in the world, 15 places below Thompson's current standing, this is his first Wimbledon, and before arriving he had played only three tour-level matches on grass and lost them all.
It is, Thompson agreed, "a pretty big opportunity at this stage of a slam. There's no beating around the bush. It could be a lot worse. I just wish my body was in different circumstance."
The Sydneysider has had an injury-hit campaign with foot, muscle and back injuries but it is the latter that is troubling him most at present, to the extent he plays with a thick brace around his mid-riff and has had to modify his game.
"You see me moving out there?" he said. "You got snails move faster. I've been serving well, but if I get behind in the point that's lost. I usually rely on my movement a lot, and that's taken away from me.
"Adrenaline helps, but that really only comes later in the match. I'm trying to do the movements that don't cause me pain, and that's going to cost me points."
To reach the third round is, in the circumstances, "so satisfying".
The 31-year-old added: "If someone had told me after Queen's where I couldn't finish the match, could barely walk, couldn't bend down to get things out of my suitcase, didn't hit for nearly two weeks, 'you're going to make the third round of Wimbledon', I'd say, 'show me the dotted line'."
Alex de Minaur, who eased into the third round himself on Thursday, paid tribute to his compatriot.
"It always amazes me, Tommo and his efforts on the court. It's pretty surreal, to be honest," the Aussie No.1said.
"He's the ultimate competitor. He might not play his best, he might not feel amazing, but something you can count on is him competing from the very first point to the last. That's why he's had some really good results in Grand Slams.
"Ultimately, showing what that Australian culture is, is that never say die attitude, never giving up, competing from the first point to the last. That's what we, as Australians, want the standard to be and to show and to let the opponents from the rest of the world know that, 'Hey, if you are playing an Aussie, be ready for a battle'."
Along with that is the mateship view of not letting people down, so Thompson is still playing doubles having asked Pierre-Hugues Herbert to partner with him. He replaced Max Purcell, with whom Thompson reached last year's Wimbledon final and won the US Open, but is currently banned for a doping violation.
On Thursday, the new French-Aussie partnership beat 13th seeds Nat Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
When Wimbledon's over, Thompson's planning a long break, but there is a date he's aiming to be fit for - Australia's Davis Cup tie against Belgium from 13-14 September in the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
Davis Cup captain Lleyton 'Rusty' Hewitt has been courtside for Thompson's matches and the player added: "I really hope that I get picked. I love playing Davis Cup, and I love playing for Rusty."
First, however, there is new ground to break at Wimbledon with the fourth round beckoning.
