Since the start of the 2018 season, Thiem has accumulated a 9–7 record against Djokovic, (3–2), Federer (3–1) and Nadal (3–4). Four of those victories have come away from his preferred surface, including two indoors at the 2019 ATP Finals. In London, Thiem topped Federer and Djokovic to win his round-robin group, and narrowly lost the title match in a decisive tiebreaker to Stefanos Tsitsipas. (Getty Images)
Navigating the season’s largest clay-court swing is another complex test Thiem has carefully studied. Early stops in Monte Carlo and Barcelona often produce slow balls, particularly when spring weather requires layering up. Conditions speed up in Madrid, which boasts altitude, and Rome, where it’s generally milder. Paris brings every extremity together: cold, warm, high-bouncing, slow, windy and rainy. But in March, players were thrown an unprecedented curveball.
In response to an uncertain future the coronavirus outbreak has left the world to face, the French Tennis Federation pushed the start of Roland Garros back to September 20—one week after the US Open, played on hard courts, is scheduled to end. A day after this decision came out, the ATP and WTA jointly announced there would be no spring clay-court tournaments in 2020. (the FFT later shifted the clay-court major back another week in early May)
During his past three lead-up trips to the French capital, Thiem had the benefit of collecting a win on clay over Nadal. But in every rematch at Roland Garros, the Spaniard went on to foil Thiem, winning nine of 10 sets played in a best-of-five-set format that has proven over time to be the sport’s most daunting ask.
“What I’ve experienced is that it’s way tougher to play him on Philippe Chatrier because it’s just like his living room,” describes Thiem. “The court is so big at one point in the match, you lose the belief that you can win the match, or that you can hit winners, because he’s just playing his best tennis always on the court. There’s a reason he’s only lost two matches there.”
While Thiem left Paris without the trophy he coveted in 2019, it was a year the well-liked contender began to exercise his voice, off the court and on. He publicly backed 4ocean, an organization which has eradicated more than four million pounds of plastic pollution to protect marine wildlife. In Rome, Thiem declared his frustration with the way organizers handled a washout and subsequent scheduling. At the French Open, when officials wanted to move him mid-press conference to another interview room, Thiem expressed his displeasure. This all followed his delicate decision to part ways with Bresnik in favor of a new perspective, Nicolas Massu.
The Chilean and his new pupil hit it off immediately, as Thiem captured his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy at Indian Wells in their first tournament together. With Massu by his side, fostering a “free-range” approach, Thiem’s racquet never spoke louder in claiming five titles—three on hard courts—to silence any previous detractors who dubbed him a one-dimensional player.
“The combination works perfect,” says Wolfgang. “Dominic is now able to develop his game on his own. “He is a sensitive player. He needs to feel the ball. If everything starts to get too mechanical and he loses his feeling, he drops. Nico [has] given him this opportunity to find his own ways. I think this is one of the secrets [why] it works really good.”