An unique competition, and a recurring Thiem
With the coronavirus pandemic ensuring a depleted field at the US Open this year, and top seed Novak Djokovic being disqualified in the fourth round of the tournament, it was a perfect opportunity for the Austrian to conquer the demons in his head and end a barren run of results at the major tournaments. That is precisely what he did
Dominic Thiem turned 27 during the first week of the 2020 US Open. Even as the Austrian celebrated his birthday with a comprehensive win over India’s Sumit Nagal in the second round he was a tad circumspect while discussing his next opponent.
“He’s not a guy I want to face in the third round as he’s a former champion,” said Thiem about Marin Cilic. The Croatian, champion in New York in 2014, hasn’t exactly been in the best of form recently — having not won a title in more than two years, and had lost both of his previous matches against the Austrian.
However, Thiem’s concern pertained to his own self than his opponent’s caliber or form. Coming into the US Open the Austrian was aware he wouldn’t get a better chance to end his Grand Slam duck. The coronavirus pandemic had resulted in a severely depleted field in New York this year, with defending champion Rafael Nadal leading a host of big names who decided to skip the tournament altogether.
Despite being one of the most consistent players on tour in the recent years Thiem’s consistency deserted him when it matters the most, at the big ticket events in general and the Grand Slams in particular. Only one of Thiem’s 16 career titles, coming into the US Open, was a Masters 1000 tournament — the Indian Wells Masters in 2019. On the contrary seven of his 10 final defeats had come in big ticket tournaments.
The Austrian had done well to reach back to back finals (2018 and 2019) at the French Open, but managed to take only a set off Nadal in those two deciders. This despite being one of the handful players to have multiple wins over Nadal on clay, the Spaniard’s favored surface. In the Australian Open earlier this year Thiem managed to get it past Nadal in the quarter-finals but let slip a two sets to one lead in the final against Novak Djokovic.
Despite having a positive head to head record against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Austrian lost to the Greek when it mattered — the ATP Finals decider last year. Likewise, while he enjoys a clear advantage over Alexander Zverev in career meetings one of Thiem’s two defeats against the German came at the final of the Madrid Masters in 2018. All these reverses in tournament finals is no coincidence and without doubt raised question marks as regards his mental strength in key moments.
Having played on the ATP Tour for a few years Thiem no longer qualified as a talent to watch out for, and at 27 he was well past the age when deemed prospects make their Grand Slam breakthrough. The depleted field in New York promised the perfect setting for the Austrian to break his Grand Slam duck.
As things turned out Thiem not only took out Cilic in four sets in their third round encounter but also found other results going his way in the same round, with eight seeded players making the exit. Tsitsipas, seeded four, was the most notable casualty — losing to Borna Coric of Croatia. Even as the Austrian comfortably disposed off the fast rising Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round clash, he also witnessed the biggest impediment in his path brushed aside in the strangest of ways.
During his pre-quarterfinal encounter against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, while trailing in the opening set, Djokovic hit a ball out of frustration, and the same hit a line judge on the throat. Soon after, the Serb earned the dubious distinction of being the first top seeded player to be disqualified from a Grand Slam singles competition.
With the biggest hurdle in his path gone it was all about Thiem staying focused. Promising Australian Alex di Minaur was accounted for in straight sets in the quarter-finals while last year’s beaten finalist, and third seed, Daniil Medevedev of Russia was also taken care of in three, the last two albeit being tie-breaks. Standing between the Austrian and a maiden Grand Slam title was Zverev, another player with a similar ambition.
The German, after many disappointing results, had achieved a personal milestone at the Australian Open by reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final — before Thiem took him out in four sets. In his semi-final against Gusta the 23-year-old achieved another first. Never before in his career had Zverev rallied from two sets down, but by eventually getting it past the Spaniard in five sets the fifth seed had reached his maiden Grand Slam final.
It is imperative here to mention that unlike Thiem’s brain fades in major finals Zverev had a pretty impressive record. More than half of his 11 career titles had come in big ticket tournaments (500 Series and above), and that included three Masters 1000 trophies as well as winning the season-ending ATP Finals in 2018. Not surprisingly he got off the blocks quicker in New York, racing to a two set lead, and having an early break (to lead 2–1) in the third.
Then, the occasion got the better of the youngster. Instead of capitalizing on the break earned Zverev dropped serve immediately after, providing the Austrian with the lifeline he so desperately needed. Slowly but steadily Thiem regained his composure. It was a matter of time before he squared things up, thereby forcing a decider.
When Zverev broke Thiem for a 5–3 lead in the fifth it seemed decisive. But the German failed to seize the initiative, allowing the Austrian to come back, convert his third match point and seal a 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6 (8–6) win. It was the first time in history that the US Open final had been decided by a fifth set tie-break.
Thiem’s maiden Grand Slam title, in what was his 26th attempt, was inclusive of many firsts. The Austrian became the first player in the Open Era to win from two sets down in a US Open final. He is also the first man since American Pancho Gonzales back in 1949 to win from two sets down at the US Open, and the first at any major tournament since Argentine Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open.
The 27-year-old became the first man to win his maiden Grand Slam title since Cilic — at the 2014 US Open, and the first man outside of the ‘Big Three’ — Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, to win a major title since Swiss Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 US Open. In fact the six-year gap between Cilic and Thiem is the longest between two new Grand Slam singles champions in the history of tennis. Thiem also became the first Grand Slam champion born in the 1990s, the 55th major winner of the Open Era and the 150th of all time. No wonder he was ecstatic at his success.
“I achieved a life goal, a dream of myself, which I had for many, many years,” said Thiem.
“I dedicated basically my whole life until this point to win one of the four majors. Now I did it. That’s also for myself a great accomplishment,” added the world number three.
The Wiener Neustadt-born is only the second Austrian to win a Grand Slam singles title, after Thomas Muster — over whom Thiem recorded his first ATP win in the 2011 Vienna Indoors tournament — at the 1995 French Open. In fact many opined that Thiem’s Grand Slam breakthrough would come at Roland Garros. The lone major on clay is where the Austrian has been the most consistent, and even French Open official website has described him as an “heir to the throne.”
With a rescheduled French Open starting in less than two weeks time Thiem will not only have another chance to win that elusive title at Roland Garros but also an immediate opportunity to shed the one Slam wonder tag that accompanies a first time Grand Slam winner. The 27-year-old sounded positive in that regard, saying he had got the monkey off his back by winning his maiden Slam.
“Because, of course, I had it in the back of my head that I had a great career so far, way better career than I could ever dreamt of, but until today there was still a big part, a big goal missing,” explained Thiem, adding, “With this goal achieved, I think and I hope that I’m going to be a little bit more relaxed and play a little bit more freely at the biggest events.”
If the Austrian remains a one-slam wonder like fellow US Open champions Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro and Cilic, or uses the triumph in New York as a springboard for further success, a la Andy Murray — or Pete Sampras and Lleyton Hewitt before him, remains to be seen.
