“Well Deserved”: Rafael Nadal Lauds Dominic Thiem’s Success in 2020

Tennis had a tumultuous 2020 season because of the pandemic outbreak. However, one name delivered an evolutionary performance on the ATP Tour. Surpassing the Big Three, 27-year-old Austrian, Dominic Thiem, won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open. Recognizing his talent, World No. 2 Rafael Nadal congratulated him on Instagram.

The absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in New York gave fans a glimpse of how tennis might look after their retirement.

Unfortunately, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic got disqualified from the tournament for accidentally hitting a linesperson. Without the Big Three, the two next-generation players, Thiem and Alexander Zverev, displayed their impeccable talent at the Flushing Meadows.

Apart from his success at the US Open, the Austrian also finished runner-up for the second consecutive year at the ATP Finals. He will start next season as the third-best player in the world.

Before winning the Grand Slam, Dominic had been denied three times in the finals of a major tournament. His opponents were none other than Nadal (French Open 2018-19) and Djokovic (Australian Open 2020).

Therefore, standing up to the occasion, the Austrian etched his name in history by becoming a Grand Slam winner. Notably, Thiem was two sets down against the German. Watch the highlights here.

Rafael Nadal congratulates Thiem again on Instagram

The world No. 3 has bagged 17 ATP titles including one Grand Slam. His latest win – the US Open, will be remembered as a significant milestone in tennis history.

Many experts also believe that Dominic is the player who will end Big Three’s dominance. Dominic is also the only player after Andy Murray to beat all Big Three players at least 5 times each.

Read More: Tennis Legend Confident Dominic Thiem Can Challenge ‘Big Three’ Monopoly

But it is not just the result that has brought the Austrian so much fame. Among the active players, Thiem has one of the most complete games on the tour. His strength, accuracy and durability transcend that of every next-generation player.

Therefore, it is only natural that even Rafa Nadal is in awe of the Austrian ace. Nadal did not play the event because of health concerns raised by the coronavirus. Nevertheless, he did not fail to encourage the new Grand Slam champion.

Thiem recently uploaded a picture of himself with the trophy at his home in Austria on Instagram. He captioned the image ‘Welcome home.’ Rafa replied, “Congrats again and well deserved Domi!”

When a 20 time Grand Slam champion congratulates you on your first big triumph, the happiness certainly doubles. Hopefully, we will witness an even more dominant Thiem in 2021.

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