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via Getty

via Getty

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Austrian player Dominic Thiem have entertained fans with some of the best matches in recent years. Both players have been cordial with each other and that is due to the mutual respect they have for one and another.

Recently, Novak Djokovic was seen in Mallorca, training for the upcoming grass-court season. Interestingly, he was joined by World No. 5 Dominic Thiem. Together, both players had their first knock on grass as they have an eye on the Wimbledon Championships 2021, which begins next week.

via Reuters

Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem lighten up the courts at Mallorca

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In the videos, both players can be seen sharpening their basic skills. They were seen practicing their basic movement on the grass court as players need to adjust themselves, especially when they are making the switch from clay to grass.

In recent years, the Serb has been a brutal force on the grass courts. He has won the Wimbledon Championships in 2014, 2015, and 2019, making him the player to beat this year. On the other hand, Thiem has not brought his best tennis to the grass courts.

In the 2021 season so far, Djokovic has dominated by winning the Australian Open and the French Open this year. In doing so, he has inched closer to the Grand Slam tally of rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He is just one title shy of equalling the two athletes.

Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic’s contrasting seasons

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On the contrary, Thiem has been in poor form. After winning the US Open last year, the Austrian player has been not performed to his usual standards. Even in the French Open this year, he made a first-round exit. That came as a shock after he made it to the finals in 2018 and 2019.

via Reuters

However, now that the focus is on grass, it will be interesting to see if the Austrian athlete can turn around his fortunes. On the other side, all eyes will be on Novak to see if he can defend his title in South West 19, London.

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