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Rafael Nadal (R) of Spain and Dominic Thiem (L) of Austria pose prior the men’s singles final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France on June 09, 2019. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Rafael Nadal (R) of Spain and Dominic Thiem (L) of Austria pose prior the men’s singles final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France on June 09, 2019. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal is not only the ‘King of Clay’ but also the ‘King of Comebacks’. Take the example of the Australian Open this year. Nadal was making a comeback after missing the latter half of the 2021 season. He put on an impressive show, winning his 21st Grand Slam title. Moreover, he did it in style, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the finals in a thrilling five-set contest.
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On the contrary, Thiem has had a losing start on his comeback from injury. The Austrian tennis star suffered from a major wrist injury that resulted in him missing out on tournaments for over 10 months. Recently, Nadal opened up about Thiem’s return from injury.
Rafael Nadal feels Dominic Thiem will get back to his best
The 21-times Grand Slam champion felt that Thiem’s comparison with him wasn’t right. Talking about this, Nadal said, “It’ not the moment to put pressure on Dominic, and is not fair to compare about me.”
Moreover, he added, “It’s true that the way that I was able to come back a lot of times in my tennis career is something special, and is not something usual, because when you are coming back from a long period of time without playing, the normal thing is have a process, and that’s what Dominic is going through.”
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13: Dominic Thiem of Austria reacts in the second set 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 on September 13, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Further, talking about Thiem’s performance in the coming tournaments, Nadal mentioned, “I don’t have any doubt that if he’s healthy he will be back this week, next week, in Roland Garros, if not in Wimbledon or after, no? It’s a matter of time. If he really has the determination, the passion to keep going, I don’t have any doubt that he will recover 100 percent the level.”
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Thiem’s campaign ends at the Italian Open
The 28-year-old lost in the opening round of the Italian Masters tournament against Fabio Fognini. Despite putting in a great fight, Thiem couldn’t overcome the local favorite, losing in just under two hours 6-4, 7-6 (5).
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WATCH THIS STORY: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis
Earlier this year too, Thiem had made first-round exits in Marbella, Belgrade, Estoril, and Madrid. Can Thiem come back stronger in the coming tournaments? Let us know your views in the comments below.
