“Will Do Everything to Keep Him No.1”- Dominic Thiem on Protecting Roger Federer’s Records

US Open 2020 winner Dominic Thiem is all set to begin his clay-court season with French Open 2020. Talking about his relationship with Roger Federer in a recent interview, Thiem revealed that the two share a great bond.

The World No.3 said that Federer was indeed a friendly and personable guy. Furthermore, he called the Swiss maestro his ‘Role Model’. The 27-year-old said sarcastically that he would want to win more Grand Slam titles to keep Federer’s record safe.

“I promise I will do everything I can to keep Roger number 1,” said Thiem.

He was referring to Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles. With Nadal at 19 and Djokovic at 17, if Thiem wins more Grand Slam titles, he will surely be a headache for both of them.

It’s safe to say that we know Federer’s favorite at the French Open.

Read More: How can Thiem stop Djokovic from breaking Federer’s record? 

“A much more elegant and aesthetic player”- Dominic Thiem on Roger Federer

Talking about his relationship with Roger Federer at length, the Austrian praised the 20-time Grand Slam champion for his phenomenal gameplay even at the age of 39. He revealed how long conversations with Federer helped him in the US Open 2020.

“He congratulated me, wrote a long message, which made me very happy. We are always in contact. In the run-up to the US Open, we kept talking on the phone, mainly because of the ATP stories,” said Dominic Thiem.

A question, however, caught the attention of every fan. Asked whether he is now called the Federer of Austria, the 27-year-old started laughing but felt proud.

“If someone were to say that, it would sound very good! The only thing that is the same about us is the one-handed backhand, I would say. No player can compare himself to Roger, he is absolutely unique. A much more elegant and aesthetic player than me. He remains a great role model for all of us,” said the excited Thiem.

Roger Federer will not be playing at the French Open 2020. Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, is about to face Marin Cilic in Round 1.

The 27-year-old Austrian definitely has a bright future ahead. Many experts have even predicted that he would go on to win at least 10 Grand Slams in the coming 5 years. The more he wins, the better for Roger Federer as his record of winning the most Grand Slam titles in the Open era will be safer for a longer period of time.

Also Read: Thiem believes that Nadal would start as favorite for French Open 2020