'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It took several years, but Dominic Thiem has finally made his seemingly inexorable jump to the top echelon of men's tennis. Runner-up at the 2019 ATP Nitto Finals and the 2020 Australian Open, the Austrian is right now the most likely candidate to break the stranglehold that the "Big 3" have had over the Grand Slams.
Thiem recently said that he intends to climb higher up the rankings, from his current career-high spot of No. 3. That, according to the experts, is exactly the kind of confidence that's required to end the sovereignty of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic over the rest of the tour.
The Austrian will be heading into the 2020 US Open as one of the biggest threats in the draw. And in a recent dialogue with El Mercurio, Thiem talked about a range of topics - from his expectations the Open to his coach Nicolas Massu.
He knows a lot and can read the game very well: Dominic Thiem
Having been a perennial top 10 player for about three years, Dominic Thiem appointed 2004 Olympics gold medalist Nicolas Massu to replace his long-time coach Gunter Bresnik last year. And the results since then have been nothing short of spectacular.
Thiem heaped praise on his Chilean coach for his recent success, which includes winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2019 BNP Paribas Open (beating Roger Federer in the final).
“Nicolas has influenced my tennis a lot," Thiem said. "He knows a lot and can read the game very well, we have taken my tennis further."
The partnership with Nicolas Massu, by Dominic Thiem's own admission, has been "perfect".
"We have a perfect relationship, everything is very harmonious," he said. "We are a good team, we can talk about everything."
The 26-year-old won a career-high five titles in 2019, including Indian Wells, Vienna, Kitzbuhel, Beijing and Barcelona. In the last of those, he remarkably beat 11-time champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
The crowd's emotions will be sorely missed at USO: Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem revealed the extent of his ambition recently, and stated that he is not satisfied being just a top 10 player. With a far less packed schedule and more maturity in his game, the Austrian has been proving his detractors wrong over the last couple of years.
"Of course I want to get even higher. That is clear," Thiem said a week ago. "(I want to) climbing further in the ranking."
The Austrian in his free-wheeling chat with the Spanish daily also shed light on how the 2020 USO has been influenced by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Every Grand Slam victory is fantastic, although the crowd's emotions will be sorely missed. The conditions are difficult and it's a shame if you can't experience New York 100 percent," Thiem said.
Dominic Thiem is expected to continue to work his way up the ladder of the men's game, and would be one of the favorites at the the first Grand Slam since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
