On Saturday at the ATP Finals Dominic Thiem achieved a unique record in the sport which has only ever been done by Andy Murray before.
Taking to the court for his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic, the Austrian prevailed in a tightly contested three-set showdown. Not only did the win elevate Thiem into the final of the year-end championships, it marked his 16th victory over a member of the Big Three. A trio contesting between Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Thiem has now defeated each of them at least five times.
“To beat every single of the three best players of all time five times each, it’s something great for me,” the world No.3 said.
“But still every single match against them is a huge privilege. It’s a huge opportunity to learn. Of course if you beat these guys, it gives you a huge boost of confidence.”
Despite the season being heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Thiem has managed to continue his rise in the sport. At the US Open he won his first Grand Slam title after coming back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the final. He was also runner-up at the Australian Open to make it the first season where he had featured in multiple major finals.
It is due to those achievements why some believe the 27-year-old is the most likely to take over the reign on the Big Three in the future. Although Thiem believes the concept of him turning the Big Three rivalry into the ‘Fab Four’ with him included is something that is still a long way away.
“If you compare us, especially the big titles, I’m so far away. I have one slam, one Masters 1000, and that’s it,” he explained.
“But I love to play against them. It’s such a huge thing every single match against them. We younger players can feel super happy that these three living legends are still around and we can compete with them. Every match against them is a great opportunity.”
Ironically, it can be argued that part of Thiem’s success is linked to the inspiration he has got from the top guns. Following his triumph over Djokovic, he said he has been studying the Serbian’s game in tiebreakers which has helped him on the Tour.
“I took him as an example because he has won so many important tiebreaks in his career,” he said of Djokovic. “I have the feeling that when he’s going into the tiebreaker, he just refuses to miss.That’s what I tried to do as well, especially from the restart of the tour. I tried to do that and it’s working out super well.”
Thiem, who has now won 300 matches on the Tour, will play Daniil Medvedev for the ATP Finals trophy on Sunday. He leads their head-to-head 3-1.
Thiem Vs the Big Three
- Rafael Nadal: He trails their head-to-head 6-9 but has won three out of their four most recent meetings.
- Novak Djokovic: Djokovic leads 7-4 but they are 2-2 since the start of 2019.
- Roger Federer: The only member of the Big Three Thiem has a positive record against after winning five out of their seven clashes.
