Austria’s Dominic Thiem says all Grand Slams are ‘worth the same’ after being questioned if his US Open triumph last year was less significant because he didn’t play a member of the Big Three.
In New York last year the world No.4 became the first player outside of the trio to win a major title since Stan Wawrinka in 2016 after fighting back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the final. Although the event was missing both Roger Federer due to injury and Rafael Nadal who opted not to play. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was disqualified in the fourth round after accidentally hitting a lines judge with a tennis ball.
Giving the dominance of the Big Three in the majors, some argue that there will not be a real change of guard in the men’s game until they are beaten in the big events. Between them, they have won 58 major titles and 15 out of the last 16 played.
“Nobody knows if I would have won it but well, I have the title that’s all what counts,” Thiem told reporters on Sunday ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships. “And also of course, Big 3 are Big 3. But I mean, there was also a time before them; nobody asks if a Grand Slam title back then was worth less or more or the same as it is now.”
At the US Open Thiem scored five consecutive wins over top 40 players en route to the title. Besides Zverev, he also defeated Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marin Cilic. Zverev and Cilic were the only players who took a set off him in the tournament.
“A Grand Slam title is worth all the time the same, and there’s just no need to to think about it,” Thiem added. “Because, well, my name is there on the trophy and it always will be and doesn’t really matter who I was beating there or who was there or whatever.”
The 27-year-old has a unique record when it comes to playing the Big Three. He has scored at least five wins over each member which is something that has only ever been achieved by Andy Murray on the Tour. At the ATP Finals in November he defeated both Nadal and Djokovic.
Since the US Open, Thiem is yet to win another title and currently has a win-loss record of 5-3 this season. At the Doha Open he lost in the quarter-finals to Roberto Bautista Agut.
“I’m on the right way, definitely,” he reflected. “I’m not at the top of my game right now. Australia was pretty strange and also tough to digest in all aspects, so I’m still trying to find the top of my game again and to work hard every day.
“Strong tournaments like Doha last week and here this week are good opportunities to get matches, to play against strong opponents, and I hope I make another step in the right direction now.”
Thiem is the top seed in Dubai which is an ATP 500 event. Granted a bye in the first round, he will start his campaign against either Christopher O’Connell or Lloyd Harris.
