Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Dominic Thiem of Austria and Rafael Nadal of Spain embrace at the net following their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Dominic Thiem of Austria and Rafael Nadal of Spain embrace at the net following their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Tennis had a tumultuous 2020 season because of the pandemic outbreak. However, one name delivered an evolutionary performance on the ATP Tour. Surpassing the Big Three, 27-year-old Austrian, Dominic Thiem, won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open. Recognizing his talent, World No. 2 Rafael Nadal congratulated him on Instagram.
The absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in New York gave fans a glimpse of how tennis might look after their retirement.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Unfortunately, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic got disqualified from the tournament for accidentally hitting a linesperson. Without the Big Three, the two next-generation players, Thiem and Alexander Zverev, displayed their impeccable talent at the Flushing Meadows.
Apart from his success at the US Open, the Austrian also finished runner-up for the second consecutive year at the ATP Finals. He will start next season as the third-best player in the world.
Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Dominic Thiem of Austria celebrates with the championship trophy after winning in a tie-breaker during his Men’s Singles final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany on Day Fourteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Before winning the Grand Slam, Dominic had been denied three times in the finals of a major tournament. His opponents were none other than Nadal (French Open 2018-19) and Djokovic (Australian Open 2020).
Therefore, standing up to the occasion, the Austrian etched his name in history by becoming a Grand Slam winner. Notably, Thiem was two sets down against the German. Watch the highlights here.
Rafael Nadal congratulates Thiem again on Instagram
Getty
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 10: Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem congratulate themselves at the end of the Men Final of the 2018 French Open – Day Fifteen at Roland Garros on June 10, 2018, in Paris, France. (Photo by Rindoff Petroff/Suu/Getty Images)
The world No. 3 has bagged 17 ATP titles including one Grand Slam. His latest win – the US Open, will be remembered as a significant milestone in tennis history.
Many experts also believe that Dominic is the player who will end Big Three’s dominance. Dominic is also the only player after Andy Murray to beat all Big Three players at least 5 times each.
Read More: Tennis Legend Confident Dominic Thiem Can Challenge ‘Big Three’ Monopoly
But it is not just the result that has brought the Austrian so much fame. Among the active players, Thiem has one of the most complete games on the tour. His strength, accuracy and durability transcend that of every next-generation player.
Therefore, it is only natural that even Rafa Nadal is in awe of the Austrian ace. Nadal did not play the event because of health concerns raised by the coronavirus. Nevertheless, he did not fail to encourage the new Grand Slam champion.
Thiem recently uploaded a picture of himself with the trophy at his home in Austria on Instagram. He captioned the image ‘Welcome home.’ Rafa replied, “Congrats again and well deserved Domi!”
View this post on Instagram
When a 20 time Grand Slam champion congratulates you on your first big triumph, the happiness certainly doubles. Hopefully, we will witness an even more dominant Thiem in 2021.
Also Read: Andy Murray to Return in Action at Delray Beach Open Ahead of Australian Open 2021
