via Getty
Novak Djokovic of Serbia greets his opponent at the end of the Men’s Singles Final against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day fourteen of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
via Getty
Novak Djokovic of Serbia greets his opponent at the end of the Men’s Singles Final against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day fourteen of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
Not that the tennis world doubts Dominic Thiem and his motivation to win more laurels in the new season, but if the Twitter footage of his ongoing pre-season training is any indication, his rivals ought to be wary.
In the training footage shared by ESPN on its official Twitter page, the Austrian tennis star could be seen sweating it out and striving for peak fitness ahead of the new season.
Dominic Thiem moves through fitness gears in training footage
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The video snatch shows the reigning US Open champion going through the gears and taking calibrated jumps to boost fitness and endurance before the new season arrives.
¡Dominator no le teme al 2021! 💪
¿Podrá ganar otro Grand Slam Dominic Thiem? 🏆#TENISxESPN @ThiemDomi pic.twitter.com/pMWSM3uoHP
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) December 31, 2020
What’s striking about the footage is how easily Thiem goes through the varying levels of jump and comes up trumps.
Thiem displays a determination to win more Majors
The footage is tagged with a message that goes, “Dominator is not afraid of 2021! Can Dominic Thiem win another Grand Slam?”
On the evidence of the footage, no one should doubt his intent and determination going into the new tennis season.
Though the Austrian threatened to open his Grand Slam account at the Australian Open this year, he fell at the final hurdle to Serb Novak Djokovic. However, he did make up for the heartbreak by winning his maiden Grand Slam crown at the US Open.
Thiem’s record against the ‘Big Three’ holds him in good stead
While the men’s draw in 2020 neither featured Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic was disqualified in the fourth round for inadvertently hitting a line judge with a tennis ball, the field was still competitive enough.
His record against the ‘Big Three’ also merits attention. He holds a lead over Federer in head-to-head battles and narrowly trails Nadal and Djokovic.
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In fact, he gave ample evidence of his ability to challenge the ‘Big Three’ by beating Federer handsomely to clinch the elite Indian Wells Masters title in 2019.
He also beat Nadal and Djokovic at the season-ending ATP Finals in London this year, further testifying to his credentials of an able challenger to the Big Three’s hold on Grand Slams.
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A maiden Australian Open title next year would only add to that reputation.
READ MORE – How Dominic Thiem Can Win His Second Grand Slam at Australian Open 2021
