From Defeating Roger Federer to Winning US Open – Top 5 Moments of Dominic Thiem’s Career

Tennis players generally follow a pre-set trajectory of skill exhibition, gradually meeting a point of recognition. Despite the possession of remarkable potential, some players remain somewhat missed by the limelight. One such underdog in the world of professional tennis is Dominic Thiem, the 30-year-old tennis maestro hailing from Austria. Despite attaining a career-high world ranking of no.3, Thiem had to ride through a challenging path to attain the position and recognition that he now stands with.

Regrettably, the brilliance of his journey has often missed the fame that the star truly deserved. With a duration of almost a 12-year-long professional career, The Dominator has jumped over numerous hurdles. Here are the top 5 instances where the talented 30-year-old brought even the biggest names of the tennis community to their knees, proving his excellent worth to the world.

5. Def Cecchinato at RG 18 to make first Slam final

Found highly challenging by most of the players, the French Open tournament has always been hard to keep up with the regular performance. Playing on clay court, the tournament used to seem even more challenging to win when the tennis legend Rafael Nadal nominated his name. In a thrilling setup at the French Open 2018, Dominic Thiem made his way to the finals by defeating the Italian tennis star Marci Cecchinato.

This victory, being nothing less than an achievement, earned Domi a ticket to face the unbeatable King of Clay, Rafael Nadal in the finals. Although the Austrian faced a defeat against the Spaniard in the finals, the performance that helped him pave the way to the finals was undoubtedly remarkable.

4. Def Djokovic at RG 19 to make 2nd Slam final

Following the same steps with great consistency, the Prince of Clay made it to the finals at Roland Garros again in 2019. The Austrian tennis star faced a huge pack of challenges right from the tournament’s opening match, showcasing his remarkable hold on the court. Besides every other event resonating the same as his previous year’s participation, Thiem faced an even stronger opponent in the semi-finals this time.

As Thiem stood against the Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic, the semi-final match, despite being a tough challenge, fell on the Austrian’s side due to his resilience and focus on the court. This marked another moment where the world recognized an emerging force that could challenge even the toughest of the sport.

3. Stunned Nadal at AO 2020

Since the Prince of Clay failed to defeat the King of Clay in the two golden chances that he earned, the world had no idea that he was silently preparing for a showdown chance. Lucky for the 30-year-old, fate gave him a chance to face Rafa once again at the Australian Open 2020.

The match, being a hard-fought one, sent regular alerts of Thiem’s undeniable properties as a great player. As the match lasted for four extensive sets that made it hard for the fans to take their eyes off the court, Thiem, without losing patience at any point, took down Nadal with an amazing score of 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

2. Def Federer in the IW 19 final

After gaining massive victories against the two top names in the tennis community, it was time for Thiem to test his waters against the third one. Fighting several immense battles to make his way into the finals, the Austrian tennis star earned a chance to face Roger Federer at the Indian Wells Open 2019.

The crucial moment of victory arrived when Thiem broke Federer to take a 6-5 lead in the deciding set. Overwhelmed with unbearable happiness, the Austrian fell on his back, covering his face as the Swiss Maestro made a mistake of netting on match point.

With this amazing show of victory, Domi earned his first Masters 1000 title and, therefore, settled victories against all of the Big Three.

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1. US Open 2020 final – maiden Slam triumph

No matter how many amazing matches that one plays and wins against legends, the world counts success in terms of the title count. The 2020 US Open brought in a chance for Thiem to knock down the doors for a grand slam title. Conquering massive victories over every opponent that stood in his way, the Austrian defeated many big names like Alex De Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, and finally Alexander Zverev in the finals.

This amazing journey carried Thiem to his first-ever Grand Slam title. The journey, being full of brutal challenges at every step, earned a big part of the recognition that he holds today.

Thiem’s tennis story is a tale of hard work, dedication, and comeback. Rising to perform such acts on the court, the Austrian came from the least lit sidelines of the tennis world. Besides the fact that the 30-year-old never got lucky enough to keep his name up on the news highlights, he remains to be an unsung hero in the enormous world of professional tennis.

(To know more about Dominic Thiem’s fascinating journey, tune in to the ESFanCast, LIVE this Tuesday at 4:00 AM ET. We sit down in an exclusive interview with the former World No.3 and Grand Slam champion who has stunned some of the greats of the game.)

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