At the start of the French Open, Dominic Thiem was asked to name the favorites in the men’s draw.
The 23-year-old Austrian began where he knew he had to, at the top, with Rafael Nadal: “One hundred percent,” Thiem said, “he’s the man to beat here.”
Then he moved on to last year’s finalists: “Novak and Andy, they have so much experience.”
Finally, in a sly way, Thiem brought himself into the conversation: “There are some young guys,” he said, with the hint of a smile, “who could make some good runs here.”
Thiem is a naturally modest and down-to-earth young man, and he’s taken enough beatings at the hands of the Big Four over the years to understand the wisdom of respecting his elders. He lost twice to Nadal on clay this spring, and after getting blown out by Djokovic in Rome, he admitted that the Serb had his number.
Six days into the tournament, Thiem has won his first three matches—over Bernard Tomic, Simone Bolelli and Steve Johnson—without dropping a set. Now it seems appropriate to wonder just how deep this young player’s run will be. Is it time for him to be a little less modest and respectful of his elders?
Thiem has been tentatively anointed as Nadal’s successor at Roland Garros. That doesn’t mean anyone thinks he’s going to win it nine times, of course; but when you see him tee off on a 90-m.p.h. one-handed backhand, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be a force at this tournament for years to come. The event and its city have already played a big role in his career.
“Last year was great,” Thiem said of his run to the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2016; it’s the only time he has gone that deep at a major. “But six years ago I was in the finals in juniors. That was my first big experience in tennis.”