Dominic Thiem Eyeing History at the 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships

With the Dubai Tennis Championships starting next week, World No.4 Dominic Thiem will enter the tournament as the top seed. Interestingly, the tournament presents Thiem with an opportunity to create history and etch his name in the record books.

Thiem will bid to become the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1997 to lift the trophy at the Dubai Tennis Championships. His fellow countryman Muster had defeated Goran Ivanisevic in a hard-fought final to lift the title.

In fact, Thiem last played at the Dubai Open in 2015, where he lost in the first round to Roberto Bautista Agut. However, things have completely changed since then as Thiem has emerged as one of the strongest competitors in the game.

Last year, Thiem achieved his dream by winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. Despite losing the opening two sets, Thiem waged a historic comeback and became the first player in US Open history to win the final after dropping the first two sets.

The Austrian ended the 2020 season by finishing as the runner-up at the ATP Nitto finals for the second consecutive time.

However, Thiem suffered a huge defeat in the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov. After winning an epic match against Nick Kyrgios in the third round, Thiem seemed visibly low on energy in his match against Dimitrov.

Dominic Thiem up against a strong lineup

But with the Australian Open slump behind him, Thiem will aim to make a fresh start at the Dubai Open and aim to win his 18th ATP title.

For the fans, it’s going to be something to cherish as the Swiss Maestro Roger Federer will be the biggest star attraction at the event. The Dubai Open will feature some of the best players on the tour including Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini, Stan Wawrinka, and many others.