None of the players at the ATP Finals 2020 apart from Novak Djokovic has a favorable head-to-head record against Rafael Nadal. However, among those other top six players, only Dominic Thiem has won as many as five matches against the Spaniard.

The two have set-up a big rivalry over the last couple of seasons and they will face-off in a huge match at the ATP Finals 2020. Thiem knows this could be his best chance in recent times to bag a sixth win over Nadal.

Thiem’s confidence is at an all-time high this season. While he always was under the shadow of the ‘Big 3’, much like his other ‘Next-Gen’ companions, Thiem is now finally a Grand Slam champion.

Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal have played 12 of their 14 matches on clay. However, in their sole two hard court matches, Thiem won a match and almost won the other.

Thiem won their match at the Australian Open earlier this year, winning three high-pressure tie-breaks and outplayed Nadal with a power-packed style of play. Such a game could work more in his favor on an indoor hard-court.

How Dominic Thiem can hamper Rafael Nadal’s style of play

Rafael Nadal’s top-spin and weight on his groundstrokes will be restricted even further in such conditions. The ball can sit up well for Dominic Thiem’s one-handed backhand, which he can put a lot of power behind to not give Nadal the chance to take an attacking position in the rally.

Thiem’s forehand, which was a bit weaker than this backhand in the early parts of his career, is now also right up there. The Austrian star has the ability to hit flat and powerful groundstrokes consistently, rally after rally, which can force Nadal to play differently than he is used to.

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Thiem’s serve was quite impressive against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, despite a brief hiccup in the second set. He will pose a much bigger challenge to Nadal, who was able to get on the front foot against Andrey Rublev relatively easier.

Thiem’s quality behind the serve and return of serve

The US Open 2020 champion can mix his serve up well, not giving Rafael Nadal a pattern to rely on. If Thiem can push Nadal in tough positions off the serve itself, he has a great chance to consistently trouble Nadal.

On the other hand, Nadal did not face a single break-point against Rublev. However, Dominic Thiem is fast becoming one of the best returners of serve in the sport, and will certainly challenge Nadal’s serve. The key for Thiem will be to win more points behind Nadal’s second serve.

A key aspect of Nadal’s game recently has been his impressive performance behind the second serve. He wins a high number of points in that department, and if Thiem manages to attack the second serve on more occasions than not, he will cause problems for Nadal.

Dominic Thiem knows what it takes to beat Rafael Nadal

While Thiem lost a thriller to Nadal at the 2018 US Open, he did win a set 6-0. He did so by attacking Nadal’s game from the word ‘go’ and out-powered the Spanish superstar.

Everything is easier said than done against Nadal, but Dominic Thiem is different than most. He is a serious contender for all major titles on Tour now and knows what it takes to consistently beat the best. The newest Grand Slam champion on the block is a much better player under pressure, and Rafael Nadal is well aware of the challenge he faces.

Nitto ATP Finals 2020: Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem Preview, Head-to-Head & Prediction